In search of their survival in the dispute of the 2017/2018 edition of the Champions League, the Monaco faces the Leipzig this Tuesday, 21 of November. The match is part of the fifth-round (penultimate) schedule of the group stage of the tournament. It will be held at the Louis II stadium in Monaco from 17:45 (Brasília time).
The teams are in the G key, which has the surprising Besiktas of Turkey as leader with ten points. The second place is in the hands of Porto, who has six. The top two will meet a little earlier at 3pm on Turkish soil. The Germans are in third place with four points and the Monegascos have only two.

Monaco’s recent performance

Disappointing is the adjective that can be accurately chosen to qualify the Monaco campaign, which reached the semifinals of the competition the previous season. Although the team has lost some important players of its cast, it was not expected that remaining two days to the end the team was holding the group’s flashlight.
Achieving classification is a difficult task. However, it essentially demands that the Monegasque win the two games they have left. The next will be in front of Porto, in Portugal. In addition, Monaco need to hope that Porto will not beat Besiktas on Tuesday.
On Friday, November 17, the team played for the French Championship. As a visitor, he took the lead against Caen but ended up giving up the equalizer by 1 to 1. Although it was not the expected result, it can be considered acceptable. He served to extend his unbeaten run to five (three wins and two draws) and keep the team in the Ligue 1 runners-up with 29 points (nine wins, two draws and two losses). They are three more than Lyon, third placed, and six less than the PSG, leader.
To face Leipzig, Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim must wait for the position of the medical department in relation to three players. The most important of them is the midfielder Thomas Lemar (ten games in the French Championship 2017/2018, one goal). They also depend on a new evaluation to know if defender Djibril Sidibe (seven matches, one goal) and midfielder Souahilo Meite (two matches, no goal) will be available.

The current form of Leipzig

Leipzig also does not just depend on its results to get the classification. Like the Monaco, it twists by the stumbling of Oporto in Turkey. It is not the only resemblance to the rival. The draw was also the result of his weekend game for the National League.
But circumstances were worse. He was twice in front of the marker and faced a rival with one less athlete since the seven minutes of the final stage. Henrichs was sent off when Bayer Leverkusen lost by 2-1. Thus, the equality in two goals was not acceptable and still cost the loss of the vice-leadership.
With 23 points (seven wins, two draws and three defeats), Leipzig saw Schalke match him in number of points but take second place when they take into account the tiebreaker criteria. They are six points behind Bayern Munich, the leader.
Coach Ralph Hassenhutti has virtually all of the squad available to face Monaco on Tuesday. Of the starters, only midfielder Stefan Ilsanker (six matches in the 2017/2018 German Championship) is in the infirmary. He recovers from a toe injury and is unlikely to be released for the showdown.

History of the bouts between Monaco and Leipzig
The 1-1 draw in Germany for the first round of the group stage of the current edition of the Champions League was the first match involving the teams.

It is advisable to wait for the result of the match between Besiktas and Porto before risking guesses in this duel. The starting point of the match can strongly influence the behavior of Leipzig. If the Portuguese win, the chances of qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League will be further reduced. This can make the team opt for a more defensive posture, already thinking about maintaining third place and get the chance to play the Europa League.
In the case of Monaco, victory is a must in any of the scenarios. However, facing a more open team can be beneficial to a team that has fast socks. At first, the hunch on the home owners is the best option with a 2.37 on Bet365. Draw has a prize of 3.75. Victory visitor multiplies the investment by 3.00.