Monaco return to domestic action with a trip to the Stade Auguste-Delaune to face mid-table Reims in Ligue 1 on Saturday night.

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After a superb start that saw Monaco briefly sit at the top of the league, inconsistency is hurting them now as we approach the winter break.

Monaco's last 10 matches in all competitions have brought five wins and five losses, with the 3-0 defeat at the Emirates their third in four games.

Despite a respectable showing, Monaco were caught out late on with two cheap second-half goals from the Gunners, meaning they were unable to build upon the 2-0 win against Toulouse last weekend.

The two other defeats in that run came against Benfica and Marseille, with both winning goals being scored in the dying stages, seeing points dwindle away from winning positions.

That defeat to Marseille saw Roberto De Zerbi's side overtake them in the Ligue 1 standings, dropping the side from the principality down to third on goal difference.

In what has been a brilliant 2024 for Monaco though, they will hope to end it on a high, with the Toulouse win being the ninth in 12 league games at home.

On the road, they are just as effective, with 10 wins in their last 13 away Ligue 1 matches, and the visitors have also won on their previous two trips to Reims, meaning they have the chance to win three in a row here for the first time in their history.

The most recent meeting actually went in the favour of Reims though, recording a 3-1 win at the Stade Louis II in January, but the hosts have not won back-to-back games against Monaco in Ligue 1 since 1974 though, illustrating just how dominant the visitors are in this fixture.

Recent results will not provide a lot for the home faithful to be excited about either with no goals in their last two games, and they are also struggling to keep them out at the other end.

Reims have not kept a clean sheet in their eight games here at the Auguste-Delaune, with that partly contributing to a run of just one win in seven games across all venues - which came away from, 3-0 against Le Havre.

Luka Elsner's side are still in the top half though, courtesy of a very strong start, but that will not last if current form continues, and they will now face a very tough end to 2024, facing the club in third.

With Saint-Etienne, Nice and Le Havre to come in their first three league fixtures of 2025, Elsner may appreciate the upcoming break, giving the team a chance to reset before some very winnable games on paper.

possible starting lineup: