AS Monaco post-Mbappe resurgence has them in Ligue 1 title race

As is often the case in France, PSG and Marseille are dominating all the attention and the focus. It is normal in a way and not too different to other leagues where a handful of teams hog the spotlight; PSG and Marseille are the two biggest clubs in the country, and they’re also first and second in the Ligue 1 table. Not that it will bother Monaco too much: they’re used to it. However, there is a case to be made that the team from the Principality is underappreciated and undervalued considering they are quietly joining the race for the title.

Philippe Clement, who is one of the most low-key managers in the Big Five European leagues, won’t mind that his side is flying a little bit under the radar and not much talked about at the moment. But even he can’t escape the facts: Monaco are the best team in Ligue 1 right now. They’ve picked up more points than anyone (23 of a possible 27) since the restart after the World Cup. They’ve won their past five matches in all competitions, and have lost only once in the league since October — and that was against Marseille in a wild game where they conceded a late winner. They’ve also scored 23 goals in the past eight games in all competitions.

Monaco’s surge still has them seven points behind PSG and two behind Marseille, but with the top two facing each other Sunday in one of the most important and biggest Classiques of the past 20 years, Monaco have a big chance to close the gap. They host Nice in a big derby of their own — the Derby de la Cote d’Azur — too.

Clement has his team playing with confidence during this big run and with maturity: in a tactical sense, every player knows exactly where to position, what to do and when to do it. They’ve also constructed a solid squad…