Champions League: AS Monaco faces defining European night vs PSG

On the eve of their decisive UEFA Champions League showdown against Paris Saint-Germain, with AS Monaco needing a victory to keep their hopes of progression alive, head coach Sébastien Pocognoli faced the media to address a range of key issues before the colossal clash.

Showdown

With a clear understanding of what is at stake, Pocognoli emphasised the significance of the fixture, stating: “We’ll have to play our game taking all the factors into account, even if we shouldn’t overthink it. Above all, we’ll try to stick to the game plan we want to implement tomorrow and maintain a mindset that wants to achieve an outcome that leaves us with every possible hope, and obviously, the earlier in the game the better. But we’ll be facing a very good team, so we’ll have to deal with that, being ambitious but also thoughtful in our approach to the match.”

“I don’t really want to talk about what it would mean to advance, because there are still 90 minutes or more to play before we can discuss the result again. Let’s remain level-headed, especially after the match we played in Lens, where we did some very good things. Let’s just give the team the opportunity to get into the best possible shape for this match and get off to a good start, to try and get a positive outcome. Then we can debrief.”

Approach

Looking ahead to the encounter, Pocognoli outlined the mindset he wants from his side and the balance required vs such elite opposition.

“I think tactics aren’t the most important thing; it’s the ideas we implement within this system that are crucial. We try to apply these principles, which are dear to us, in every match, namely being ambitious both with and without the ball. Our success rate also depends on the opponent we face, and we’ll certainly be up against the best French team tomorrow, so we’ll have to adapt to the opponent’s strengths and not compromise our own style,” insisted the Belgian.

PSG challenge

Turning to the challenge of facing an outfit that thrives on the ball, Pocognoli stressed the value of collective discipline and mentality.

“It’s a key aspect of the game where you have to enjoy working without the ball. If you calculate the number of minutes a player touches the ball per match, it’s very low compared to the time they spend without it. So we’re in a situation where those minutes and seconds will be reduced, and we’ll have to adapt and enjoy working together for each other, and if we’re well organised, we can trouble PSG and take advantage of possession. We’ll definitely need to have more possession than in the first leg, try to keep it a bit longer, even though we mustn’t forget that we played 45 minutes with 10 men against 11, so that figure was exaggerated. In any case, we know what we need to improve compared to the first leg,” explained the 38-year-old.

First leg reflections

Revisiting the first leg, Pocognoli acknowledged how difficult it will be to overcome PSG while insisting his side will not abandon their identity.

“In a football match, anything is possible, so we’ll definitely start this game with the idea of ​​achieving something. But I think it’s important to stick to our values ​​tomorrow, to be ourselves, especially since we’re the underdogs, a role that was already known before this match. That’s perhaps even more true given the result of the first leg, but circumstances in recent weeks have given us a glimmer of hope for a favourable outcome,” he told the media.

“Once again, we’ll have to be at our very best, but football has seen many comebacks, so we have to believe, with our supporters, with the whole team – the starting players and the substitutes – but also the staff and management. What can we do better than in the first leg? Many things, much better, but above all, we need to be better in both penalty areas. It might seem obvious, but it’s the reality because we have to come back and not concede, so we’ll have to be strong and the team will have to stick together in those moments, working as a collective.”

Aklioche to return

Pocognoli also provided an update on his squad, confirming a timely boost for this fixture, with star man Maghnes Akliouche and talented defender Christian Mawissa both ready to feature.

“He wasn’t rested against Lens; he was completely out due to his injury, so we let him recover. He’s available tomorrow, so we’ll see what he can contribute, how many minutes he can play and in what circumstances. We’ll see tomorrow, but it’s a very positive return for us, as is that of Christian Mawissa, who is also back in the squad. This will add competition and quality to the group,” declared the ASM manager.

All out

Monaco know the scale of the examination that awaits, but they’re prepared and eager to give it their best shot. With belief restored in recent weeks, they’ll be going all out to rise to the occasion and attempt to overturn the deficit against the European heavyweights.