Analysis: AS Monaco’s high pressing and Zakaria’s latest masterclass key takeaways from Rennes victory

AS Monaco recorded their first Ligue 1 victory since the 29th of November, when they beat Paris Saint-Germain, as they brushed aside Stade Rennais with a convincing 4-0 triumph at the Stade Louis-II.

Backing up their fine showing vs Juventus, plenty of positivity could be gained from their superb performance, with their high pressing and the exceptional effort by Denis Zakaria among the key takeaways.

Pressing a major weapon

By instructing his side to press high, Sébastien Pocognoli saw his team execute the plan to great effect, repeatedly unsettling Rennes’ build-up and winning the ball in advanced areas, from where they could quickly attack a disorganised, stretched Rennes defence.

Astutely timing and directing their pressure to force Rennes wide so Monaco could use the touchline as an extra defender, this allowed the Principality outfit to minimise options for the visitors and ensure Habib Beye’s men hit many risky passes or low-percentage long clearances.

Their sharp judgement on when to shift across, who to engage and how to use cover shadows to close passing lanes ensured their fierce harrying frequently paid dividends.

The central defenders merited credit for fulfilling their marking assignments by tracking runners diligently in all directions and knowing when to hold their post.

Indeed, Monaco’s opener owed much to their coordinated pressing, with Jordan Teze smartly regaining possession before feeding Folarin Balogun with a scintillating line-breaking pass. The USMNT star then played in Ansu Fati, who proceeded to score and cap off the move in style.

“Today, we saw an AS Monaco team that was eager, unafraid to make mistakes and keen to press high. We played our own style of football, and that’s the result of a very strong team performance,” Krépin Diatta stated after a game where Monaco kept their third consecutive clean sheet.

“The key is to focus on ourselves and bring the necessary intensity from the start, and today we did that. You have to fight, play with intensity and give everything to win matches. Today, we applied those principles. Now, we mustn’t fall back into our old habits and must continue to play this way. That’s how the victories will follow.”

Showing excellent discipline and organisation to deliver Pocognoli’s demands, ASM deserve tremendous praise for successfully implementing their manager’s strategy on an evening where this was an integral feature of their display.

Zakaria shines again

Fresh off a masterful Juventus outing, Zakaria backed that up with an equally classy showing vs Rennes. Deployed in the heart of defence again by Pocognoli, the adaptable and versatile Swiss international was imperious once more.

Powerful and forceful in his battles on the ground and in the air, his adversaries found it tough to gain an edge over the imposing Monaco skipper.

Tracking markers coherently when they checked towards the ball or surged in behind, the fast and attentive Zakaria hardly put a foot wrong to underline how well he’s adjusted to this tweaked role.

Flexing his muscles on the offensive end as well, where he embarked on some sensational upfield dribbles, struck some crafty passes into the final and showed his clever positional sense, there was no doubting what an outstanding body of work he produced.

“We’ll see if he has to return to midfield, but Zakaria put in another very good performance tonight. He’s been an exemplary captain these past few weeks, especially since it’s a new situation for him to face as captain. And he’s taking responsibility wholeheartedly, with Thilo (Kehrer) and Jordan (Teze) at the back, well supported by Lamine (Camara) in front of him. He was brilliant once again in this match, with forward runs and penetrating runs, so it’s very positive. We’ll see how things go depending on who’s returning and who we’re facing. In any case, we have a new option compared to this three-man defence,” Pocognoli explained on the 29-year-old.

Commanding, full of authority and essentially an extension of his coach on the pitch, his leadership was another highlight associated with his output, for his presence always helps guide the team’s younger players and provide some calm in moments of difficulty.

“What’s great for us is that Zak, like other players, can play in several positions. We all see how much he helps us defensively. He also sometimes moves up into midfield, his usual position, and he’s very good at defending. He’s a real additional option for the coach. We often like to jump to conclusions. For now, it’s working that way, but in the future, we’ll see if he plays at the back or in midfield. What’s certain is that we’ll need everyone,” Thilo Kehrer told the ASM website.

A complete package in all phases, this was just the latest example of what an indispensable member of the squad Zakaria is.