Monaco vs Le Havre: Ligue 1 Prediction (17.08.2025)

On Sunday, 17 August at 00:00 WIB at Stade Louis II in Monaco, the home side will face Le Havre in the opening match of the 2025–2026 French Ligue 1 season. Last season, the hosts claimed the bronze medal, while the visitors narrowly avoided relegation, climbing to 15th place on the final matchday.

Given the significant quality gap between the two sides, bookmakers give Le Havre very little chance. A win for the red-and-whites is priced at 1.35, a draw at 5.45, and a victory for the dark-sky-blues at 8.90. The match is expected to be fairly high-scoring: over 2.5 goals is priced at 1.56, while both teams to score sits at 1.84.

Monaco

Last season, Adi Hütter’s men showed consistent performances. While not enough to challenge PSG, they did trouble Marseille. Finishing in the top three to qualify for the Champions League was an excellent result. In the summer transfer window, they did not sign many players, but their arrivals were high-quality. In goal, they secured experienced keeper Lukáš Hrádecký from Bayer Leverkusen. From Bayern Munich, they brought in English defender Eric Dier to strengthen the back line. Barcelona’s young star Ansu Fati also joined Monaco for more playing time, though he has yet to feature in preseason.

Le Havre

Interestingly, Didier Digard’s side also made several signings this summer. However, the quality of their recruits does not match that of Monaco, and they remain one of Ligue 1’s underdogs. The main goal for the Normandy club is simply to avoid relegation.

A key weakness for the dark-sky-blues is their defense. Last season, Le Havre was one of only two teams — alongside relegated Saint-Étienne — to concede more than 70 goals in the league. Every other club allowed fewer than 60.

Head-to-Head Statistics

Since 2023, the two teams have met four times. Surprisingly, Monaco have only won once, with the other three matches ending in draws. Last season, the red-and-whites secured a convincing 3–1 home win, but were held to a 1–1 draw away.

Prediction

With Monaco opening their season at home against an underdog, a convincing win is expected. Suggested bet: Monaco -1 handicap at odds of 1.53.