Respectively 16th and 17th heading into Ligue 1 Conforama's Week 36, Amiens SC and AS Monaco are yet to secure their top-flight survival. What are their chances of beating the drop? Read on...
AS Monaco and Amiens SC remain uncertain as to which division they will be playing their football in next season. With three matches left to play, the clubs are still trying to put daylight between themselves and 18th place and the relegation play-off place that goes with it. This weekend, Amiens can clinch survival but Monaco will have to wait...
Standings: With three rounds left to play, Amiens SC sit in 16th place on the Ligue 1 Conforama table with 34 points. That's one more point than AS Monaco in 17th and four more than the seemingly play-off bound SM Caen in 18th. Dijon FCO in 19th place have 28 points.
The precedents: Since the introduction of three points for a win in season 1994-95, 17 of the 18 teams who have found themselves in Amiens' position - i.e. with a four-point lead over 18th with three matches left to play - have survived. The only exception is SM Caen in season 2011-12. As for AS Monaco, 15 of the 16 teams who have had a three-point lead over 18th at this point of the season have managed to beat there drop. Here the exception is EA Guingamp, back in season 2003-04.
Current form: After an excellent month of February, just after the return of Lenoardo Jardim as coach, AS Monaco have won just one of their last nine Ligue 1 Conforama matches - surprisingly, away to LOSC in mid-March (0-1). Meanwhile Christophe Pélissier's Amiens side have also won just once in this period (2-1 over Nîmes in Week 28). However, Amiens have taken two more points than Monaco since the beginning of March (ten compared to 8) and have kept four clean sheets as opposed to Monaco's two.
The principality club sit second-last on the table in terms of home form, with just three wins at the Stade Louis II this season, while Amiens have one of the poorest away records (two wins), better only than Girondins de Bordeaux and EA Guingamp (who have played one away match fewer so far this season).
Head to head: In their last three matches of the season, AS Monaco will play just once at home - against Amiens in Week 37, on Saturday 18 May (21:00). The first time the sides met this season, the principality club came out on top at the Stade de la Licorne thanks to a double from Falcao (0-2). Last season, Amiens and Monaco drew in both of the league fixtures.
Remaining fixtures:
Week 36: Amiens SC - Toulouse FC (Saturday, 20:00); Nîmes Olympique - AS Monaco (Saturday, 20:00)
Week 37: AS Monaco - Amiens SC (Saturday 18 May, 21:00)
Week 38: Amiens SC - EA Guingamp (Saturday 25 May) ; OGC Nice - AS Monaco (Saturday 25 May)