Analysis: Golovin shows his class in AS Monaco’s statement win over PSG
© AS Monaco
Aleksandr Golovin was back to a level resembling his brilliant best in AS Monaco’s crucial 1–0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, with his movement, chemistry with his teammates and silky technical skills proving vital.
Having scored in Monaco’s last win over PSG in February of 2023, Golovin once again rose to the occasion vs the Parisian giants, with his crafty assist a pivotal contribution.
Deployed on the left by Sébastien Pocognoli for this one, the classy playmaker was a persistent thorn in PSG’s side in a match where he gave direct opponent Warren Zaïre-Emery a torrid time.
His knack for spotting space and bursting into it at exactly the right moment gave Monaco a constant spark. With his sharp scanning and excellent spatial sense, he repeatedly arrived where he could influence the game.
Golovin’s scanning and reading of the play were exemplary, allowing him to occupy optimal positions and inject momentum into Monaco’s attacks. Consistently exploiting the zones between PSG’s midfield and defence – both centrally and in the half-spaces – he was instrumental in connecting play. This indenting was significant when Monaco went long in build-up too, for he was ideally placed to help his team win important second balls.
Moreover, these infield drifts notably meant he could be in close proximity to combine with his fellow attackers and make room for left-back Caio Henrique to maraud upfield on the overlap to further stretch the PSG rearguard.
Golovin also stamped his mark in traditional central midfield locations, where he’d strategically drop deep to form overloads here to help ASM progress and beat the press – as can be seen in the image below.
The elegant maestro’s runs in behind and down the channels were equally influential, for he smartly timed and angled his surges to target vacant zones that were generated by teammates drawing out adversaries or defenders being preoccupied.
Indeed, his superbly executed run in behind served as the catalyst for ASM’s winner, as he latched onto Mohammed Salisu’s measured through ball before coolly picking out Takumi Minamino, who finished with aplomb.
His positioning created a secondary benefit as well – attracting defenders away to manufacture space for teammates, which added another key string to his bow.
Golovin’s shrewd rotations and dovetailing with his teammates paid dividends throughout the match too. Interchanging particularly well with Minamino and Folarin Balogun, his slick swaps with the duo frequently brought him into central areas and forced uncertainty into the minds of the PSG backline.
In turn, Golovin helped fashion space both in front of and behind the defence, enabling Monaco to exploit the gaps that were generated. Balogun’s resulting penetrative depth runs were especially threatening to capitalise on the separation, adding variety and regularly shifting reference points for PSG’s defenders.
In possession, Golovin parlayed poise, vision, composure and creativity to great effect, with his line-breaking passes and outstanding awareness driving Les Monégasques forward. He not only threaded precise through balls, crosses and incisive passes into feet, but also combined crisply in tight spaces, using deft flicks and touches to keep Monaco’s attacks fluid. This inventive interplay allowed the ball to reach forward-facing teammates quickly, helping Monaco manipulate and, ultimately, cut through the PSG defence.
The press-resistant Golovin’s dribbling was successful as well, for his neat feints, nifty turns and subtle body movements to create space, evade foes and glide past opponents caught the eye.
In addition, Golovin’s defensive output was determined and impactful. He tracked back diligently to support his full-back, Henrique, to deal with Lee Kang-in, and applied effective pressure on Zaïre-Emery. He also hunted Marquinhos when needed, wisely angling his pressing to use his cover space and block the lane to Zaïre-Emery. His strong work rate and awareness brought an extra dimension to Monaco’s performance, contributing valuable interventions and illustrating another key aspect of his armoury.
“There’s a huge amount of energy expended in pressing and off-the-ball movement by Aleksandr, Takumi and Maghnes tonight. They did a fantastic job pressing and initiating the press. It’s normal that there’s a lack of freshness from time to time. We talked about it at half-time, and I’m happy that Taki was able to be decisive in this match! That’s what we expect from him, from Maghnes, and from Golo, who provided the assist; they were much more consistent,” explained Pocognoli.
Even though he’s still not yet at his absolute best, as a thigh injury earlier in the campaign frustratingly hindered him, having him available and operating at a high level is a huge boost for Pocognoli’s Monaco.
Boasting the ability to conjure something special out of nothing, Golovin is a real difference-maker, and he’ll be eager to flex his muscles in the upcoming fixtures before the winter break against Brest, Galatasaray and Marseille, where his individual quality and coalescing with his teammates could be integral again – just like it was in Monaco’s statement triumph over PSG.
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