Opponent | Monaco
Monaco's unbeaten match against International Citizens in the preseason began on July 11, beating Cercle Bruges 1-0. Next was a 5-0 victory against Coventry City, a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest and a 3-0 victory over Arminia Bielefeld. Over the past week, they have recorded back-to-back matches in a 3-1 win over Torino and beat Ajax 2-2. Their Ligue 1 debut is scheduled to be home in Le Havre on August 16. For Adi Hütter's side, the clash with the International Front will be their last friendly match before the season officially begins.
For Monaco, last season was definitely intense, with Monaco finishing third in Ligue 1 with 61 points, which was 18 wins, 7 draws and 9 losses. Their Coupe de France campaign ended in 64 rounds in a surprise shooting gunfight against Stade Reims. The Trophée Des Champions final also ended in disappointment, defeating PSG 1-0 in the 92nd minute. On the European front, Monaco returned to the Champions League stage. They sailed on the group stage with confidence, 17th in the overall rankings, but their journey ended in the playoffs, where they were beaten by Benfica and weren't enough to improve in the reverse fixture with a 1-0 loss and an exciting 3-3 draw.
Monaco is now ready to start a new season, driven by several new signings in the current transfer window. So far, the club has brought five reinforcements. Admittedly, the most eye-catching signing is Ansu Fati, who hopes to restart his career. There were also many conspiracies in the signing of Paul Pogba, who returned to the court after two years of inactivity. As for their defense, the French side has strengthened Eric Dier, who adds experience and quality to the backline.