Ligue 1: AS Monaco ready for intense derby battle with OGC Nice

With an intense derby showdown against OGC Nice on the horizon, AS Monaco boss Adi Hütter spoke at the pre-match press conference, hoping his side can transfer the momentum from their impressive Champions League draw with Manchester City into Ligue 1 this weekend.

Injury update

First on the agenda was an injury update from Hütter, who’s dealing with a squad decimated by absences at the moment.

“We currently have eight players unavailable, most of whom are key players, although we can perhaps hope for the return of Aleksandr Golovin and Christian Mawissa after the international break. But things are like that, and we have to deal with it, as was the case against Manchester City, by showing that we can still be competitive and have power. That’s what’s most important for me as a coach,” he explained.

News on Pogba

He then added this on the highly anticipated return of Paul Pogba: “Everyone can see that Paul is increasingly present in training with the team, which means he is on the right track for a return. We hoped he could possibly be available for the reception of Nice, but I think it is too soon. So I hope he can be part of the group for the trip to Angers after the international break. He is participating partially in the collective sessions for the moment, because it takes time and we want to continue to progress in stages. He is currently in a joker role in games, but he will be involved more and more in the duels, and we will see what the next steps will be in the next two weeks.

“Then, his return is also subject to the conversations I can have with Paul, because I see that he is intelligent and that he understands perfectly what we are doing tactically, but I also need to have his feelings on his physical sensations, the runs, etc. In any case, he is present in the dressing room at every match to show his support for the team and give advice to the young players. He was also there before the match against City. It is important for his teammates because he is a great support, in addition to the fact that he has won everything as a player. Regarding his return, I am thinking about the best solution to start him, perhaps a few minutes at the end of the match, and then we must increase his playing time and presence in training to gradually bring him back to his best level.”

Home comforts

Hütter then highlighted Monaco’s outstanding home form, a factor that will unquestionably provide a lift going into this high-stakes derby vs their rivals.

“It’s true that our record at the Stade Louis-II in 2025 is really very good, where we only lost to Benfica in the Champions League. I think we owe this invincibility to our performances on the pitch above all, as my players were able to demonstrate against Manchester City. We must also try to deliver the same effort in every match from now on, because we have more difficulties away from home, where we are almost untouchable,” stated the Austrian.

“This weekend we have the Derby de la Côte d’Azur against Nice, and as Jordan (Teze) said before me, we want this Derby to be red and white. It’s always a special match! I told the players before City that we had only lost one of our last 25 home games, so we were very strong at the Stade Louis-II, and we had to believe in our strengths. Sunday against Nice is also a big match, even if the Derby is always a special match! We have to continue like this.”

Nice challenge

Speaking about Nice, Hütter was full of respect and insight, noting what a force they can be even though they’ve had some struggles.

“I’m not Nice’s coach, even though I’ve watched their games on video. They have a good team even though they’ve had some difficulties lately, especially up front with Jérémie Boga, who is their best one-on-one player and who scored twice against us at the Stade Louis-II. There’s also Terem Moffi, who is dangerous in depth, and Sofiane Diop. Even on the wings, Melvin Bard and Jonathan Clauss can cause us problems with their qualities. But we’re playing at home, and despite the many absences, we have to fight on the pitch and show what we did against City,” insisted the shrewd tactician.

Mixed results

Acknowledging Monaco’s recent up-and-down results, Hütter provided an honest and measured response, citing a host of reasons behind this.

“The questions from observers and fans are sometimes justified about losing to Lorient and managing to hold on to City, for example. Even though I think that against Lorient the sending-off played a big role, and that it was a completely different match, with a very different style of play. Manchester City is more of a possession team, against whom we had more space,” asserted the ASM boss.

“That’s why it’s difficult to compare our performances, even though it’s clear that we have to play every game with the same intensity, mentality and character that the team showed on Wednesday. We’ve scored a lot of goals in the final minutes at the start of the season, which shows that the team never gives up.”

Coulibaly and Diatta

Next on the docket was Hütter heaping praise on young midfielder Mamadou Coulibaly, as he shone the spotlight on his resilience and impressive development despite past adversity, commenting: “I like him a lot; he’s a new player from the Academy who has the opportunity to express himself with the professional squad. He has progressed a lot with the Elite Group, even though his development was halted by his knee injury a year and a half ago. He was sidelined for nine months before returning in a completely different profile, after working a lot on his physique.”

“This season he played a few minutes before his superb performance against City, so I really want to congratulate him! But when I see how he worked to come back, it’s not a surprise for me. His favourite position? I see Mamadou as a number 8, because he’s a transition player, he likes that, even if he already played at 10 with the Elite Group. He shows that he is strong in duels, can run a lot and is fast. So indeed I am very happy to have Mamadou and Aladji (Bamba) available.”

Krépin Diatta’s impact was then touched on, with Hütter applauding both his mentality and versatility. “He’s great! He made some criticisms after Lorient, and I agreed with him, but then you had to show a reaction on the pitch, and he did that against City by showing a great mentality and encouraging the other players. He was fantastic starting on the left and finishing on the right, and I’m very happy with him. A soldier? He is, but he also knows how to play football very well with his speed and power, not to mention the fact that he can score and provide assists,” said the 55-year-old.

Fati firing

Hütter also spoke positively about Ansu Fati’s fine form and growing influence within the squad, as the gifted attacker’s been brilliant on his way to scoring four goals in his four appearances.

“Ansu is on the right track at the moment, although we have to manage him because we have a lot of games in this period, so we have to be very careful with him. But I have the impression in any case that he is stronger, that he has more energy, so then we will have to take him into account to manage his playing time. He is young but already very experienced, and the Champions League is his level, as he showed against Manchester City,” noted Hütter.

“He is the kind of player who can make the difference in a match, because he can score but also give away goal opportunities. Even what he did tactically with Maghnes (Akliouche) in our 5-4-1 system, the way he defended on the left flank with Krépin Diatta, was impressive. I hope his impact in the coming weeks will still be very positive.”

Showtime

As the derby approaches, both Nice and AS Monaco come into the match with plenty at stake. While Monaco look to capitalise on their strong home form and fresh Champions League momentum, they know Nice will pose a formidable opponent, as this battle for supremacy in the Derby de la Cote d’Azur promises to be a thrilling and fiercely contested fixture.