Preview: Monaco vs Le Havre - prediction, team news, lineups

A superstar-reinforced Monaco begin their next quest for Ligue 1 stardom on Saturday, when Le Havre visit the Stade Louis II on the opening matchweek of the 2025-26 season.

Adi Hutter's troops have Champions League football to look forward to in the coming campaign, whereas their visitors are likely anticipating another scrap for survival.

Match preview

Not since Lille's astounding 2020-21 success has another Ligue 1 side managed to challenge the status quo of French football, and as has been customary for the past four years, Paris Saint-Germain rode off into the title sunset last term.

The capital outfit's expected dominance left Monaco in a familiar battle to be labelled the best of the rest, a battle that they lost to Marseille as they accepted a third-placed finish in the 2024-25 French top flight, only one point better off than Nice and Lille.

However, that one point was the difference between Champions League league phase football, Champions League Qualifying and Europa League football, and Hutter's men will be competing among the European elite for at least the next few months; they find out their league-phase opponents in the draw on August 28.

In preparation for another possible - yet fanciful - Ligue 1 title charge, Les Monegasques have been put through their paces during an unrelenting summer of pre-season friendlies, playing eight separate matches and avoiding defeat in seven of them.

That one loss did come in their most recent warm-up match - a 2-1 reverse to Champions League runners-up Inter Milan - but an eight-game unbeaten home run in Ligue 1 football is currently the longest of its kind.

Perpetual Ligue 2 competitors during the early stages of the 21st century, upcoming visitors Le Havre are now gearing up for a third straight season of Ligue 1 football on the back of successive 15th-placed finishes in the big time.

Current incumbent Didier Digard and his predecessor Luka Elsner have jointly kept Le Club Doyen afloat in the French top flight; last season's points total of 34 was one better than Reims in the relegation playoff spot, and four above automatically-demoted Saint-Etienne.

Le Havre's guaranteed survival was secured in the most enthralling of circumstances last term, as in the 99th minute of a final-day clash with Strasbourg, an Abdoulaye Toure penalty propelled Digard's men to a 3-2 win; good thing, too, as Reims lost their relegation/promotion playoff battle with Metz.

However, Le Club Doyen have been found wanting in the summer months having failed to win any of their five pre-season friendlies, going down to Deportivo, Brest and Le Mans while playing out stalemates with Angers and Paris FC.

Some of the statistics make for pleasant reading for the visitors, though; they have suffered just one loss in their last five Ligue 1 games vs. Monaco, and they have taken 17 points on the road in the French top flight in 2025; only PSG (22) can boast more in the current calendar year.

Monaco pre-season form:

Le Havre pre-season form:

Team News

Monaco already have one player on the naughty step for their Ligue 1 opener, as midfielder Soungoutou Magassa was sent off in their final game of the 2024-25 top-flight season and serves a one-match suspension here.

Magassa's loss will not be Paul Pogba's gain, though, as Hutter has revealed that the World Cup winner is not yet ready to make his return to competitive football.

On-loan Barcelona attacker Ansu Fati is in the same boat, but Bundesliga invincible Lukas Hradecky is poised for a first appearance in goal following his move from Bayer Leverkusen.

While Monaco have an on-field suspension to work around, Le Havre must contend with an off-field ban, as head coach Digard will not be on the touchline for Saturday's opener due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Young striker Elysee Logbo is also out of contention with a shoulder problem, but the visitors are in strong shape otherwise and can call upon a former Premier League striker to lead the line.

One-time Aston Villa forward Ally Samatta joined the club on a free transfer from PAOK this summer, while experienced duo Thomas Delaine and Hungary international Loic Nego man the full-back areas.

Monaco possible starting lineup:

Hradecky; Vanderson, Dier, Kehrer, Henrique; Golovin, Zakaria, Camara, Akliouche; Balogun, Biereth

Le Havre possible starting lineup:

Diaw; Nego, Sangante, Kinkoue, Delaine; Namli, Toure, Ndiaye, Kechta; Soumare, Samatta

We say: Monaco 3-0 Le Havre

Le Havre may have made a few statements on the road of late, but the visitors flattered to deceive in pre-season and are facing a Monaco outfit who are seldom outclassed at home.

A straightforward win for the hosts is the only outcome we can envisage, one that would also give Les Monegasques their 1100th Ligue 1 victory.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.