Having been breached twice by Arsenal in the Champions League, AS Monaco will look to rediscover their defensive solidity when they travel to Stade de Reims on Sunday.
When: 4.00 pm GMT, 22 March 2015
Where: Stade Auguste Delaune, Reims
Ahead of Monaco’s second-leg Last 16 Champions League match against the Gunners at the Stade Louis II, much of the side’s optimism was taken from their superb defensive record.
Indeed, the strength of their back five and the hard work of the midfielders ahead of them have guided Leonardo Jardim’s side up the Ligue 1 table and into contention for a Champions League place (if not more).
As Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated with defeat to Girondins de Bordeaux last weekend, it’s not easy for a side to return to domestic action after a big European night and Jardim will need to ensure they his players are focused to secure the three points away at 15th-place Reims.
The home side have motivation of their own, however, and having seen Toulouse beat Bordeaux themselves on Saturday, will look to get a bit of distance between themselves and a relegation threshold that has been brought that bit closer.
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