This season's Ligue 1 title race is one of the most fiercely contested across Europe, with as many as four teams still in with a shout as crunch time approaches.
AS Monaco would be rated as outsiders for the championship, and must make the most of their game in hand against Montpellier HSC on Tuesday.
Monaco
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The Ligue 1 title race remains wide open with seven games of the season remaining. Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon and Marseille have been scrapping at the top all campaign, but none of them can seem to stay at the summit for long.
Monaco are creeping up from behind and threatening to gatecrash the party following an excellent second half of the season, but the principality outfit must win their game in hand against Montpellier to stay in contention.
Friday's 1-1 draw with Saint-Etienne did them no favours, and also realistically put an end to their opponents' slim title ambitions, but the Champions League quarter-finalists can move to within five points of PSG by getting back on the winning trail.
They had previously won three matches on the spin, and 10 times during a 15-match sequence in which they have only lost once. Had the season started in November, Leonardo Jardim's men would perhaps be favourites for the title.
It may be their slow start under their new manager which comes back to haunt them. They lost their opening two games and won just one of their first five. Jardim has steadily turned things around, building from the back, and now Monaco are a goal threat too.
The division's best defensive side have put three past Reims, Bastia and Evian TG in recent weeks, indicating that, even if they have left their charge a little bit late this time around, they may have found the balance to mount a serious challenge in 2015-16.
Recent form: WDWWWD
Recent form (all competitions): LWWLWD
Montpellier
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It is easy to forget that Montpellier were the last team other than PSG to lift the French title. Inspired by the goals of now-Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud, they pipped the Parisians to their first ever top-flight championship in 2011-12.
That squad has now been torn apart. Younes Belhanda has moved onto Dynamo Kiev, Remy Cabella is struggling to make an impression at Newcastle United and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa has been shipped out on loan by the Magpies.
Those that remain and those brought in to replace the departed stars have understandably failed to sustain Montpellier's position at the summit of French football, and they find themselves out of the title tussle this campaign.
However, they are well on course to improve on their 15th-place finish of last season, now that they have shaken off a habit of drawing every other game. Rolland Courbis's side, who beat Bastia 3-1 at the weekend, are much less predictable than they were 12 months ago.
They can go from thrashing the likes of Nantes and Rennes one week to being hammered by Lyon the next, and they have regularly come undone against the division's elite this season, winning just once against the six sides above them in the table.
Whether they can test Monaco at Stade Louis II will depend on which Montpellier turn up. This game in hand is an opportunity for them as well, with fifth-placed Saint-Etienne only five points above them in the last European spot.
Recent form: WWLWLW
Team News
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Jardim is likely to reward Anthony Martial with a start after he came off the bench to immediately score the equaliser against Saint-Etienne. Nabil Dirar may also get a start to add even more pace to Monaco's forward three.
Dimitar Berbatov may be the attacking element sacrificed. The mercurial former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker has not always been a definite fixture in Jardim's lineup and might be demoted to the bench.
At the other end of the pitch, Aymen Abdennour is expected to return at the expense of Wallace at centre-back. Fellow defender Ricardo Carvalho heads a list of absentees which also includes Alain Traore and Tiemoue Bakayoko.
Although Anthony Ribelin remains sidelined, Montpellier have no new injury concerns and could therefore name a similar side to the one which defeated Bastia.
Courbis may consider throwing in another midfielder to help counteract Monaco's strength in the centre of the park. Jonas Martin could be the chosen one, with Djamel Bakar making way to leave Lucas Barrios as a lone striker.
Monaco possible starting lineup:
Subasic; Fabinho, Abdennour, Raggi, Kurzawa; Toulalan, Kondogbia, Moutinho; Dirar, Ferreira-Carrasco, Martial
Montpellier possible starting lineup:
Jourdren; Congre, Hilton, El Kaoutari, Tiene; Marveaux, Mounier, Dabo, Sanson, Martin; Barrios
Head To Head
Montpellier have never beaten Monaco in the league, drawing five and losing 10 of their 15 encounters.
Goals have not been easy to come by in recent fixtures between these two sides. Two or fewer have been scored in their last seven meetings.
When the net has been found, it has been at Montpellier's expense. Monaco have recorded 4-1 and 4-0 victories in this fixture at the Stade Louis II since 2010.
We say: Monaco 1-0 Montpellier
Montpellier may have to wait for their first league win over Monaco a little while longer. Jardim's men are very solid at home, and their defensive stability always gives them a chance. One goal might be enough.
Joe Fish
