Preview: Hutter eyeing strong showing as AS Monaco host Lyon in crucial match
As the Ligue 1 season enters its final stretch, AS Monaco sit third in the standings and remain firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification.
Their upcoming clash with Olympique Lyonnais marks their last home match, and Adi Hutter was on hand to speak about this decisive clash and more in his pre-match press conference.
Final push
Determined to secure their spot in Europe’s elite competition, Hutter was keen to stress how important these final two games are, as there’s no room for error due to tightness of the race for the top-three in Ligue 1.
“We’re really in the final sprint of this season, neck and neck with a lot of teams. So, I have to be totally focused with my staff on preparing for this very important match against Olympique Lyonnais. And if we put in a good performance, there will be one last final to play for. But the most important thing is to keep the keys in our hands before this 34th matchday in Lens,” he insisted.
“Since the beginning of the season, we have had the very high objective of qualifying for the Champions League again, and at this point of the season, we are all very tight at the top of the table. Everyone is talking about this crazy situation in France for the European places. So it’s an exciting situation for everyone, the spectators, the fans and the media. It’s special, but I don’t really feel any pressure about it. Especially since we’re in a phase with only one defeat in the last nine games. And that’s even though we’re going to face one of the very good teams in Ligue 1.”
Biereth update
Seeing as Mika Biereth went off injured last weekend vs Saint-Etienne, this was a hot topic of discussion, and Hutter had some positive news regarding the Danish international.
“He trained with the squad today and gave me the impression that he’ll be ready for Saturday’s match. Day by day, he’s getting better and better, so we’ll see by tomorrow if he feels good and is able to start the match against Lyon. He did some gym work at the beginning of the week, but has been back in team training since Wednesday, and I hope he can play against OL,” stated the Austrian.
“When he went off injured last weekend, we knew the situation and knew he could potentially miss the last two games. It would have been bad news for us, as he is our top scorer (13). And at the same time, Folarin Balogun stood out against Saint-Etienne and George Ilenikhena scored two braces with the Elite Group in a friendly against Nice and against Montpellier in the Espoirs Challenge. I have four very good strikers at my disposal today, and that is the most important thing for me.”
Balogun’s return
Next on the agenda was Hutter’s take on Folarin Balogun’s return from injury, and it’s clear what a massive boost having the USMNT star back available is for Monaco.
“Everyone expected him to return to the starting line-up as soon as he came back from injury. But when a player returns after five months out, you have to take things step by step and gradually prepare for his return. Against Saint-Etienne, I felt he could make the difference because we were under pressure. He’s in good physical shape now, and I have to say his athletic performance against ASSE for 90 minutes blew me away! I was really impressed by his performance, and for me, he deserved to score,” explained the 55-year-old.
“We’re all very happy to have him back. Sometimes after a full, intense match, players end up exhausted, especially when they’re working hard like Balo. That was the case at Saint-Etienne, so we have to be careful with him in terms of recovery. But he’s capable of playing two or three games in a row in the space of two weeks; I have no doubt about that. We have big goals, so we need players who are fully fit and fully focused to achieve them.”
Saint-Etienne victory
Another interesting subject was hearing Hutter’s thoughts on their vital win over Les Verts last weekend, as he looked back on this one in a typically honest and measured fashion.
“It was a positive point. In our post-match analysis, it was clear that we showed a much higher level of commitment, intensity and aggression than we had shown in the first half against Le Havre. We couldn’t be satisfied with our performance there, so it was important to show a good reaction against Les Verts. We immediately saw that the attitude was different, even if at times the match was a little too open with transitions,” reflected the Monaco manager.
“Saint-Etienne played and pressed very high up the pitch, which meant we lost some easy balls. We can therefore do even better to manage the strong and weak moments. We will therefore see what we are capable of doing in this last home game of the season in front of our fans, who will come from all over France to support us.”
Lyon test
Hutter’s opinion on the challenge that awaits vs Lyon was then covered, with him insightfully noting the threat they pose and how aware he is of the many talented players OL have at their disposal.
“It must have been a terrible disappointment to lose that match against Manchester United in the Europa League. We felt they had been affected, even though against Lens they showed they were the better team. They dominated that match but lost in the end thanks to a superb long-range goal, despite having the record number of touches in the opposition’s box,” he told the media in attendance.
“So this is their last chance match! We’ll have to be careful, especially since they have experienced players like Nemanja Matic, Corentin Tolisso, Nicolas Tagliafico, and, of course, Alexandre Lacazette. They’ve already experienced these kinds of situations. We’ll really have to be wary of this team, even if we’re more focused on our own style of play.”
Stage set
As the campaign reaches a pivotal stage, Hutter and his team know just how crucial this penultimate fixture is in their pursuit of a Champions League place, with expectations high that they’ll come out swinging at the Stade Louis-II on Saturday and clinch the three points they crave.
