Reaction: AS Monaco punished for mistakes in disappointing loss to Brest
In a match where AS Monaco were the better side for large parts but were punished following some more unfortunate errors, Adi Hutter and Caio Henrique reflected on this tough 2-1 loss to Brest.
Hutter’s assessment
When asked for his thoughts on how this match unfolded, Hutter’s take was typically honest and insightful, with him keen to give plenty of credit to Eric Roy’s determined side.
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“We witnessed two different halves. The first 15 minutes were good before Brest took control of the game. We knew their very powerful style of play, especially on second balls. In the second half, we were the better team on the pitch,” Hutter explained.
“I have a lot of respect for this team, which I congratulate after this victory. We are disappointed because we wanted to come away with a point from the draw. We weren’t good enough tonight, so we can’t be happy with the result.”
Respect to Brest
Even though dropping points was not ideal, Monaco crucially still occupy third in the Ligue 1 table, but Hutter’s fully aware nights like these can’t happen too often if they’re to secure Champions League qualification.
“No one at Monaco thinks the last seven matches will be easy. We managed to win 2-0 last season, but it was a tough match. Brest is a very good home team, but looking at the way things played out, I think we deserved to take a point,” he told the media.
Key switches
Turning things around for the second half, Hutter’s decision to bring on Eliesse Ben Seghir and Vanderson at the interval was an inspired move, for it gave them far greater impetus in the final 45.
“It was a tactical choice,” the 55-year-old coach insisted. “With Vanderson on the right flank, we had the opportunity to be more present offensively. We decided to leave Wilfried Singo out because of his aerial qualities, particularly given the presence of Ludovic Ajorque. Regardless of the choices made at half-time, one thing is certain: we win and lose together, and that’s the most important thing.”
Fine margins
Seeing as both teams had chances to win in the closing stages, it was interesting to hear the ASM manager speak on the eventful ending to the contest.
“The match was very open. Shortly before, Folarin Balogun had created a great opportunity to take the lead. The objective was to keep them under control; we had the chance to take all three points, and in the end, it’s hard to lose this match like that,” asserted the Austrian.
Caio Henrique’s debrief
Offering his opinion following the completion of this intriguing fixture, Caio Henrique gave a calm and measured response on this frustrating loss, with him making a point of sticking up for Philipp Kohn, who endured a challenging night at the office.
“Of course, I think we lost a point. It’s difficult to play Brest away; they’re solid at home. That’s football; we’ll work hard this week to win the next match against Marseille, which will be just as difficult, even if we play it at home,” he stated.
“I watched Brest’s two goals; they were both difficult balls for Philipp. In every situation, a player tries to stop the ball in front of him. We win and lose together. Philipp had some good matches; that’s football; you can sometimes make mistakes.”
Champions League race
Given Nice and Lille lost this weekend too, but Lyon, OM and Strasbourg triumphed, it’s definitely all to play for in the race for the Champions League. And the Brazilian full-back was eager to stress the importance of getting back on track.
“We need to win every match now because many teams are behind us. We’ll have tough matches against Marseille, Lyon and Strasbourg. As I said, we’ll work hard to correct our mistakes,” commented the 27-year-old.
“It’s true that we did a good job in the second half. We managed to come back into the game, but I think we lacked a connection between the defence and the midfield. There was a lot of space between the lines, and we lost a point today.”
Battle resumes
Wanting to quickly forget this defeat, it’ll be a case of rapidly shifting their attention to their huge upcoming home clash with Marseille at the Stade Louis II, which is set to be a pivotal encounter in their fierce pursuit of a top three finish.
