Analysis: AS Monaco’s win over Lyon fuelled by Zakaria’s drive and Minamino’s artistry

AS Monaco clinched their spot on the Ligue 1 podium and qualified for next season’s UEFA Champions League with an outstanding 2-0 win over Olympique Lyonnais on a celebratory night at the Stade Louis II.

In the aftermath of this crunch contest, this gives us the opportunity to highlight why Denis Zakaria and Takumi Minamino were such crucial difference-makers.

Zakaria excels

Monaco’s inspirational captain Zakaria put in a terrific shift on both sides of the ball to help propel his side to a massive victory on the grand stage.

Stepping up big time to seal the triumph with his thumping second-half header following Lamine Camara’s masterful delivery, this capped off an exceptional evening at the office for the imposing midfielder.

Aside from his goal, the Swiss international gave ASM so much impetus going forward, with his ability to dictate the tempo, create chances with his crafty distribution and drive his team upfield via his powerful dribbles proving vital.

Zakaria’s intelligent movement especially came in handy to help his team bypass Lyon in build-up, as he excelled at manufacturing numerical and positional superiority to give the ball holder a viable outlet to progress.

Indeed, the graphics below illustrate his elite positional sense and spatial awareness. The first image sees him drop deep to form a 3v2, which provokes the press and allows Jordan Teze to push up and be free. The second then sees him generate a 5v4 overload in midfield so he can inherit possession in the heart of the pitch to breathe life into the passage.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, his energetic and aggressive pressure and toughness in the challenge were key in setting the tone for his colleagues to follow. A real ball-winning machine and unsettling presence to his adversaries, his influence was felt heavily in this phase, both in duels on the ground and in the air.

Forcing turnovers successfully and timing his tackles crisply, where his long legs, physicality and athleticism always serve him well, Zakaria’s capacity to break up play was instrumental.

By the numbers, his 43 completed passes at 91% accuracy, nine duels won, six ball recoveries, four accurate passes into the final third and three interceptions accentuated what a huge contribution he made to the win.

“I have a special relationship with Denis. I knew him and coached him when he was only 18 at Young Boys Bern and then at Monchengladbach. I think if he came to AS Monaco, it’s partly because I’m here too. I feel a bit like he’s my child, even though he’s now an experienced player,” Adi Hutter explained.

Although he’s missed large parts of the season through injury, his latest body of work emphatically underlined just how integral he is to Hutter’s Monaco.

Minamino’s mastery

Stamping his mark in fine style as well, Minamino reaffirmed his value to ASM with a standout showing in this pivotal fixture.

While his superbly taken goal drew the headlines, where he found space nicely while Mika Biereth pinned two markers before driving upfield, gaining room to shoot with a wicked step-over and then finished with aplomb, his all-round performance deserved just as much praise.

“Zakaria’s goal validated our victory, but the most important goal was the one scored by Takumi Minamino because we were struggling a bit. Lyon was playing well, and we decided to switch from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1, I think that was a key moment for us in this match,” reflected Hutter.

To begin with his movement, and this afforded him a formidable platform to wreak havoc.

Instructed to drift infield from his nominal left-wing slot in trademark fashion, the Japanese international constantly caused problems for OL with his central ventures.

So good at getting free between the lines and in the half spaces and generating space for Caio Henrique to overlap, this frequently created dilemmas for Lyon on who to mark.

His devastating runs in behind and into the box compounded issues for Lyon, for he astutely timed and directed his bursts to gain an edge over his opponents and stretch the opposition backline.

The fact he was typically indented ensured he could execute sharp rotations with his fellow attackers in Biereth, Breel Embolo and Maghnes Akliouche, as these effectively unbalance the Lyon rearguard. As a result, he popped up all over the final third and enjoyed regular stints as a striker, which catered brilliantly to his aforementioned depth running.

The 30-year-old’s ball-carrying wizardry, nifty passing and determined stopping output also warranted mention.

Statistically speaking, his seven touches inside the area, seven ball recoveries, six duels won, four shots, three interceptions and two dribbles aptly demonstrated his two-way impact.

Having recently signed a new contract and continuing to prove his worth, this upside-filled display served as a further testament to why he’s so highly regarded by Hutter and his teammates.

Now up to nine goals and four assists in all competitions for ASM this term, he’ll be looking to reach double figures in his team’s last match next weekend vs RC Lens to close off what’s been a fantastic crusade.