Preview: AS Monaco looking to justify heavy spending through strong start
This summer, Stade Louis II, home of newly-promoted Ligue 1 outfit, AS Monaco, has been more like an airport, thanks to so many new arrivals at the football stadium. A number of players have arrived at the club thanks to some huge spending which was made possible due to the resources of owner, Dmitry Rybolovlev.
The players who have arrived at the Principality are not average either. One of those players is Radamel Falcao.
The Colombian international surprised everyone when he chose to join Monaco despite getting offers from clubs that will be playing in the Champions League next season. However, an excellent contract and a great project was enough to convince the Colombian to let go of UCL thoughts for at least one more season. Same goes for the likes of James Rodriguez, Joao Moutinho, Jeremy Toulalan and Eric Abidal are all players who have the potential to make the club a strong contender for at least a place in the Champions League by the end of the new campaign.
Moreover, with Claudio Ranieri at the helm, the club has an experienced manager who has the ability to make sure that all the egos in the dressing room do not step out of the line and jeopardise what the club wants to achieve this season. Qualifying for the Champions League is a must and anything less would be considered as a failure.
Indeed, after spending so heavily in the transfer market, one cannot wrong the owner if he is aiming for a podium finish. However, caution must be thrown to the winds as the Monaco project, regardless of how exciting it is, should be taken one step at a time. Moreover, with so many changes made to the side that was promoted last season, team chemistry will take some time to develop.
After struggling to replicate the performances that made them a tough club to beat a few years ago in France, Bordeaux are slowly starting to get back on their feet with a Coupe de France victory last season, a proof of the fact that coach, Francis Gillot has done a very good job in guiding the club away from dire straits. Two years back, Les Girindons were on the verge of relegation and now, they are looking forward to a European campaign apart from the domestic one.
In their first game, the team faces a tough Monaco side, oozing with talent. However, Bordeaux would be confident in their ability to beat the Monegasques considering the fact that Stade Chaban-Delmas has been more of a fortress in the past few months. Bordeaux are hard to beat at home and Monaco should be wary of this.
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels
Quite understandably, Monaco fans would be eager to see the game kick off. Same goes for Bordeaux fans who will create quite an atmosphere in the stadium.
Watch the match live:
In USA at 15:00 ET on beIN Sport, TV5Monde USA
In UK at 20:00 on BT Sport 2
Fans in Middle East can watch the match live on Al Jazeera Sport HD5 and Al Jazeera Sport HD6, whereas fans in South East Asia can catch the action live on Ten Action.
