The Ligue 1 is back in action with another round of fixtures this weekend as Monaco take on Reims at the Stade Auguste-Delaune II on Sunday. Monaco have been impressive under Niko Kovac this season and are the favourites to win this game.Reims are in 11th place in the Ligue 1 standings at the moment and have not been at their best in recent weeks. The home side suffered a 3-1 defeat against Marseille last week and will need to do a better job in this match.Monaco, on the other hand, will need to fight for a top-four finish this season and face an intense battle at the moment. Les Monegasques suffered a 3-2 defeat against Lyon in their previous game and cannot afford to drop points in this fixture.🗳 Congrats to @WissBenYedder & @KeVolland on their nominations for #Ligue1's 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 for April 👊𝙑𝙤𝙩𝙚 👉 https://t.co/z2knagYt9h pic.twitter.com/2MGhDImbP4— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) May 8, 2021Reims vs Monaco Head-to-HeadReims and Monaco are surprisingly on an even footing as far as the head-to-head record is concerned and have won four games apiece out of a total of 15 matches played between the two French sides.The reverse fixture between the two teams took place in August last year and ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw. Monaco suffered a series of defensive lapses on the day and will need to be more robust this weekend.Reims form guide in Ligue 1: D-L-D-D-DMonaco form guide in Ligue 1: L-W-W-W-WAlso Read: 10 Greatest Football Managers of all timeReims vs Monaco Team NewsReims have a strong squad. Image Source: Stuttgarter ZeitungReimsValon Berisha is the only fitness concern for Reims at the moment and has been ruled out of this match. The home side is the underdog against Monaco and is likely to name a defensive team this weekend.Injured: Valon BerishaDoubtful: NoneSuspended: NoneCesc Fabregas is back for this gameMonacoStevan Jovetic is injured at the moment and has been ruled out of the game against Reims this weekend. Aleksandr Golovin, Krepin Diatta, Chrislain Matsima, and Eliot Matazo have tested positive for the coronavirus and will be excluded from the squad.Injured: Krepin Diatta, Chrislain Matsima, Eliot Matazo, Aleksandr Golovin, Stevan JoveticDoubtful: NoneSuspended: Willem Geubbels, Pietro PellegriReims vs Monaco Predicted XIReims Predicted XI (4-3-3): Predrag Rajkovic; Ghislain Konan, Yunis Abdelhamid, Wout Faes, Thomas Foket; Moreto Cassama, Mathieu Cafaro, Xavier Chavalerin; Nathanael Mbuku, Arber Zeneli, Boulaye Dia🔴⚪️ AS Monaco are delighted to announce that Chrislain Matsima has extended his contract with us until 2025.𝘿𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 👉 https://t.co/hgOHIxn4zU pic.twitter.com/mdU6xbgOzw— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) May 8, 2021Monaco Predicted XI (4-4-2): Benjamin Lecomte; Caio Henrique, Guillermo Maripan, Axel Disasi, Djibril Sidibe; Sofiane Diop, Youssouf Fofana, Aurelio Tchouameni, Cesc Fabregas; Kevin Volland, Wissam Ben YedderReims vs Monaco PredictionMonaco have been an exceptional force in Ligue 1 under Niko Kovac and will want to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League this year. The likes of Kevin Volland and Wissam Ben Yedder can be lethal on their day and will want to make their mark on this game.Reims are capable of pulling off an upset but will have to play out of their skins to win this game. Monaco are the better team at the moment and should be able to take all three points away from this fixture.Prediction: Reims 1-3 MonacoAlso Read: West Ham United vs Everton prediction, preview, team news and more | Premier League 2020-21