Monaco v Anderlecht background
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Article summary
Monaco are unbeaten at home in Europe this season and have won both of their Stade Louis II games against Belgian sides by big margins as they welcome Anderlecht in Group J.
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AS Monaco FC's two previous home results against Belgian opponents may set alarm bells ringing for RSC Anderlecht as the sides meet again in UEFA Europa League Group J.
• Monaco and Tottenham Hotspur FC will qualify if they both win on matchday five.
Previous meetings
• Substitute Lacina Traoré struck late to earn Monaco a 1-1 draw in Brussels on 17 September.
• Monaco's five games against Belgian sides have ended W3 D1 L1 (W2 D0 L0 at home). Those two home wins were by significant margins: 5-1 and 6-1.
• Anderlecht's record in 19 UEFA fixtures against French teams is W6 D9 L4 (W2 D5 L2 away). They are without a victory in their last six encounters with Ligue 1 sides (D3 L3).
Form guide
• Monaco are unbeaten in four European home games this term (W3 D1) and have been oddly consistent in Group J, scoring once in each of their four contests – three 1-1 draws and a 1-0 success.
• Anderlecht are without a win in 13 European away trips (D6 L7) since a 6-0 defeat of FK Ekranas in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.
• Monaco were successful in their only previous UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League group stage campaign, making it to the round of 32 in 2005/06.
• Anderlecht advanced to the round of 32 in all four of their previous UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns, most recently in 2011/12.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Brussels to Monaco is around 800km.
• Anderlecht's Fabrice N'Sakala (ES Troyes AC), Idrissa Sylla (Le Mans UC 72, SC Bastia) and Guillaume Gillet (SC Bastia) have French league experience.
• Monaco's Nabil Dirar (Diegem Sport, KVC Westerlo, Club Brugge KV) and Adama Traoré (R. Mouscron-Péruwelz) have played in Belgium.
The coaches
• Venezuelan-born Leonardo Jardim has been in charge of Monaco since summer 2014. A coach since he was in his 20s, he led SC Beira-Mar and SC Braga in the top division in Portugal and then tried his luck in Greece with Olympiacos FC before earning a second-place Liga finish with a young Sporting Clube de Portugal squad in 2013/14.
• Previously assistant coach, former Albanian international Besnik Hasi assumed sole command at Anderlecht in March 2014. Hasi's playing career took off after he moved to Belgium in 1994, the midfielder winning a title with KRC Genk and another with Anderlecht, where he returned after hanging up his boots at Cercle Brugge KSV.