Le Mans Hand Daouda Traoré the Midfield Keys Against Monaco

Le Mans and Monaco have confirmed their lineups for Sunday's Ligue 1 fixture at Stade Marie-Marvingt, where Patrick Videira sends out a 3-1-4-2 and Filipe Luís organises Monaco in a 4-2-3-1.

Le Mans sit 17th, in the relegation zone, after three defeats in their last four top-flight matches and a 2-0 loss at Troyes last week. Monaco are seventh and arrive off a 3-1 defeat at Paris FC. Both teams need the points for different reasons, and both have struggled for league form in recent weeks.

Videira's 3-1-4-2 puts three centre-backs behind a single holding midfielder, with four across the middle and two forwards. The shape is built to clog central lanes and let the wing-backs push high without leaving the back three exposed. Against a Monaco side that attacks through the middle, the extra body in midfield is the point of the selection.

Daouda Traoré starts in midfield, one of the players tasked with disrupting Monaco's rhythm. Dame Gueye partners him in the engine room. The pair will need to track Aleksandr Golovin, Monaco's chief creative threat, who drifts inside from the left.

Filipe Luís has opted for a 4-2-3-1, with Denis Zakaria and Eric Dier anchoring the midfield. Zakaria's physical presence and Dier's experience give Monaco a solid base, but both will need to handle Le Mans's numerical advantage in central areas. The front four, led by Golovin, must find space between Le Mans's lines.

Monaco's recent form has been patchy, and a trip to a relegation-threatened side is rarely straightforward. The visitors will look to dominate possession and pin Le Mans back, but the home side's shape suggests they are prepared to sit deep and counter.

Videira has resisted the temptation to match Monaco's back four, instead trusting his three-man defence to cope with the visitors' attacking rotations. The inclusion of Traoré and Gueye signals a clear intent to win the midfield battle. For Monaco, the decision to start both Zakaria and Dier suggests Filipe Luís is wary of Le Mans's counter-attacking threat and wants protection in front of the defence.

Kick-off is at 16:15 UTC. Le Mans need points to climb out of the bottom three. Monaco need a win to keep pace with the European places. The lineups are in, and the tactical battle is set.