Preview: AS Monaco eager to extend UCL unbeaten streak vs. Benfica
AS Monaco welcomes Benfica to the Stade Louis II for their fifth Champions League clash of the season, where they’ll be looking to secure all three points to ensure their qualification for the next stage.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of this clash, Adi Hutter was full of insight as usual on a host of topics.
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Benfica challenge
Excited at the prospect of facing the Portuguese giants and knowing they’ll provide a stern test, the Austrian tactician gave an intelligent preview of this intriguing encounter while reiterating the importance of getting the win.
“It will be an interesting match because both teams have a lot of quality, especially offensively. I also saw that Benfica, on Bayern’s pitch, defended well in a low block. They have six points, we have ten in four games, so they certainly have more pressure. I don’t want to say it will be an open match, but it will be a meeting with two teams who like to play football with an attacking style,” he explained.
“We are in a good position, but we can make a big step if we win. So it will be an important match for us. Everyone knows our next four opponents (Benfica, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Inter Milan). Benfica is one of the most famous clubs in the world. We expect to play a team with quality and who are in good form. They have won eight in a row in the league and Portuguese Cup, and had a fantastic victory against Porto (4-1). But we have also resumed our march forward with three victories in a row.”
Threats to watch out for
When asked what he’s particularly wary of from this in-form Benfica, the 54-year-old noted the legendary Angel Di Maria as a key dangerman and how lethal the Eagles can be in transition.
“We will have to watch out for Angel Di Maria, who is one of the best players in the Champions League in the last 15-20 years. So we will have to defend well as a team and be brave on the pitch to prove that we are a difficult opponent for Benfica to deal with. We want to remain undefeated, so our goal is to win,” he stated.
“We are happy to have ten points in four games. I want to see my team play good football against a good team. To win, we will all have to work in the same direction and be vigilant on counterattacks, where they are efficient.”
Forwards eager to fire
Given Monaco’s strikers have struggled to regularly find the back of the net this campaign, this was the next topic on the agenda, and Hutter handled it in a measured manner.
“The main lesson to remember is that we have several solutions to score. For example, we are very threatening on set pieces, while our number 10s are capable of scoring regularly. I was happy that Golo was able to get off the mark against Brest on Friday. The attackers can sometimes be unlucky on certain occasions. We must not forget that Balo has been injured for several weeks while he was on a good run,” insisted the experienced manager.
“I still believe in my attackers, but it doesn’t matter if they score less because our number 10s and our defenders on set pieces can be decisive. For other teams, it’s difficult to defend well against us because it’s easier to do it when only one player scores 20 goals. But I know that Breel, George and Balo, who will be back in the next few days, are capable of scoring. We managed to score three goals against Brest, we are in good shape and we will see what happens tomorrow.”
Set-piece kings
Last on the agenda was the tremendous scoring threat Les Monegasques’ pose from set pieces, with Hutter clearly proud of his team’s prowess in this area, which has been a huge positive.
“When we play several competitions, there is not much time to train all together, especially since many players regularly go away to the national team. We know that 30% of goals are scored from corners or free kicks in modern football. So we pay the greatest attention to this area. In addition, Wilfried Singo, Mohammed Salisu, Thilo Kehrer and Denis Zakaria have athletic qualities and are capable of scoring,” said the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss.
All systems go
With their destiny in their hands to progress and determined to remain undefeated in Europe, watch for Monaco to come out swinging in front of their home fans in their pursuit of another victory in this coveted competition.