Monaco lead Ligue 1 by two points, but Filipe Luis calls a title bid 'not realistic'

Monaco go into matchday 6 top of Ligue 1 with 13 points from five games, two ahead of Lyon and Paris FC, but coach Filipe Luis says a title challenge is not on the agenda. "It's not realistic. We know the reality of the club," the Brazilian told RMC's L'After Foot on Wednesday.

## Five teams in three points Monaco have won four and drawn one, including a 2-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain on matchday 3. Lyon and Paris FC are also unbeaten with three wins and two draws each, and Lyon have conceded only twice, the fewest in the league. Lille and Rennes follow on 10 points. PSG are sixth on 8, five points off the lead.

## The contenders' fixtures **Lyon** open the matchday at Lens on Friday at 20:45 (Paris time). Lens are 15th on 4 points and without forward Abdallah Sima, who picked up a thigh injury on Senegal duty and is out until the end of November. Paulo Fonseca will be without defender Moussa Niakhaté, who injured a hamstring with Senegal and trained on his own on Thursday. He has also lost left wing-back Mohamed Ouédraogo, who ruptured a cruciate ligament in training this week and faces several months out, according to L'Équipe. Left-back Nicolás Tagliafico had not yet returned from Argentina duty, making a start unlikely, while Pavel Sulc, Noah Nartey and Dominik Greif are back with the group.

**Monaco** host Toulouse (13th, 5 points) on Saturday at 20:45 without Paris Brunner. The 20-year-old German forward, who has four goals in five league games, was banned for two matches by the LFP for a throat-slitting gesture towards Strasbourg supporters after his equaliser at the Meinau on 12 September. He will also miss the trip to Lorient on 18 October. Winger Stanis Idumbo, who missed the 2-1 win over Lens with a psoas injury, told TV Monaco he should be available.

**Paris FC** travel to Lorient (12th, 5 points) at the same time. Liam Rosenior has his whole squad back: ten players went on international duty, a first in the club's history according to Le Parisien, with Ilan Kebbal, Samir Chergui and Moses Simon the last to return. Simon passed 100 caps for Nigeria during the break.

Lille host bottom club Le Havre on Saturday at 17:15, Rennes welcome Auxerre on Sunday at 17:15, and PSG host Le Mans on Saturday at 20:45.

## "We can't compare ourselves with Paris" Filipe Luis, 41, arrived in the principality this summer and sees no shortcut to the top. "I'm ambitious, really, really ambitious. But you have to go match by match," he said, before stressing the gap to PSG: "We can't compare ourselves with Paris. Paris have won the last two Champions Leagues. They're not just the best team in France over the last two seasons but the best team in the world."

Monaco, seventh last season, also open their Conference League campaign against CSKA Sofia on 15 October, adding matches and travel to the calendar. "We know the reality, it will be a very long season. A lot of things can happen," Filipe Luis said. "At the end, we'll see the true level of our team, and we hope to be at the top of the table."