Monaco v Paris Saint-Germain: The Opta facts as Mbappe returns with Neymar in tow
Paris Saint-Germain have raced away at the top of Ligue 1, but a trip to champions Monaco could bring the superstars back down to earth.
Kylian Mbappe will return to his former club, making up a fearsome front three with Neymar and Edinson Cavani that has torn through almost all in their path this term.
Unai Emery’s men are six points clear of the holders heading into Sunday’s fixture at the Stade Louis II.
Victory for PSG could begin talk of the title race being run already, so we got the inside track from Opta to examine one of France’s biggest fixtures.
Top scorers
Former DR Congo international Shabani Nonda enjoyed five fruitful years as a Monaco striker, during which time he won a Coupe de la Ligue medal and was part of the side that reached the Champions League final in 2004.
And Nonda was particularly fruitful against PSG, scoring six goals against the capital city club, bettering the tally of five that former France striker David Trezeguet enjoyed versus PSG.
Edinson Cavani is fast closing on Nonda, though. The PSG star has four goals in matches against Monaco.
1972 – Edinson Cavani is the 1st player to score 14 goals after 13 matchdays in Ligue 1 since Dick van Dijk with Nice in 1972/73 (14). Goleador. @PSG_English pic.twitter.com/ymBcCD4vY9
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) November 18, 2017
Longest winning runs and losing streaks
Somewhat surprisingly given PSG’s newfound wealth this decade, it is Monaco that hold the longest winning streak in matches between the two teams, having won four in a row on three occasions, the most recent of which came over 1999 and 2000.
Indeed, Monaco went 11 matches unbeaten against PSG between 2008-2015, with PSG’s longest winning run standing at three games between 2006 and 2007.
Biggest results
Games involving these two Ligue 1 giants are often tightly contested, but again it is Monaco that can boast the biggest margin of victory over their rivals – that coming courtesy of a 4-0 triumph in August 1980.
The biggest victory PSG have enjoyed is 3-0 on two occasions, which happened most recently in August 2015, when a Cavani double and an Ezequiel Lavezzi strike did the damage.
Most appearances
One man stands alone when it comes to the most matches played in this classic fixture, with Monaco’s one club-man Jean-Luc Ettori racking up 33 during this time period.
Claude Puel is his nearest rival, the former midfielder – who two Ligue 1 titles as a player and another as a manager with Monaco – playing in 22 matches.
