Gornik Zabrze - Monaco: Can Monaco gain the advantage in the first leg?
In the first leg of the UEFA Conference League qualifying play-offs, Gornik Zabrze will face Monaco on Thursday, August 20. The match will kick off at 20:00 CET, and I am offering you a bet on this fixture.
Gornik Zabrze - Monaco: Match preview
Last season, Gornik Zabrze achieved something remarkable by finishing second in the Ekstraklasa. They collected 56 points from 34 rounds and finished ahead of their nearest challengers on tiebreakers. This earned them a chance to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, but they were eliminated by their first opponents, losing 1-2 on aggregate. The team then lost to Ferencvaros by the same scoreline and exited the UEFA Europa League qualifying campaign, while now they have another chance to reach the Conference League. Gornik have made an excellent start to the new Ekstraklasa season, winning all three of their matches.
Monaco have not yet started their domestic campaign, meaning these will be their first competitive matches of the season. However, last season had a major impact on their current campaign, as their results were far from impressive and they now find themselves fighting for a place in the third-tier European competition. They finished seventh last season with 54 points, finishing just one point ahead of Strasbourg. Before the start of the competitive campaign, the Monegasques played six friendly matches, winning three, losing two and drawing one. As for the new Ligue 1 season, Monaco will face Le Havre in the opening round on August 23.
Match facts and H2H
- Gornik Zabrze have lost one of their last five matches.
- Gornik Zabrze have conceded in eight consecutive matches.
- Monaco have won two of their last five matches.
- The two teams will meet for the first time.
Probable line-ups
- Gornik Zabrze: Schulze; Sacek, Janicki, Josema, Janza; Urbanski, Dietz, Bernardo; Ikia Dimi, Prekop, Khlan
- Monaco: Hradecky; Vanderson, Kehrer, Dier, Mawissa; Detourbet, Camara, Coulibaly, Golovin; Abline, Biereth
Prediction
Monaco will clearly want to settle almost everything in the first leg, and I believe the team are capable of doing so. I expect them to have the upper hand and recommend betting on a Monaco win at odds of 1.58.
