Monaco-Manchester City, a bitter sweet opposition. The whole Principality remembers this famous double confrontation in March 2017. AS Monaco, under the orders of Leonardo Jardim, offered itself Manchester City (5-3 defeat in the first leg and then victory on the return) in the knockout stages of the Champions League. A certain Kylian Mbappé was revealed to the world and bore the team to the semi-finals.
Today, reality is quite different. If the Sky Blues have only lost their sparkle and still have one of the most talented (and expensive) workforce in Europe, Monaco will not receive the English with the same team as in 2017. Or with the same state of form elsewhere.
It must be said that the Monegasques are not in a good pass. 4 goals defeat to 1 on the first day of the Champions League league phase, opposite Club Bruges, AS Monaco has suffered a new setback. This time in Ligue 1, against Lorient, last weekend (3-1). Opposite, the Citizens are one on a series of five matches without defeat, including victories against Naples, Manchester United and a draw at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal. Despite the return to a year -old Fati competition, close to finding its best level, the Adi Hutter team is lessened by numerous injuries.
Adi Hutter: “We will suffer a lot”
The Austrian coach will have to deal without a large number of players this Wednesday evening. And the list is long. Already, there is Captain Denis Zakaria, but also Aleksandr Golovin, Lamine Camara, Aladji Bamba or Paul Pogba (not yet fit). The midfielder is decimated, while the defense will be an orphan of Christian Mawissa, victim of a muscle injury to Lorient. Last Saturday, Monaco had therefore aligned an unprecedented midfield composed of Jordan Teze (defender by trade), as well as the young Mamadou Coulibaly.
Disturbing news when you know that Manchester City likes to tire its opponent by monopolizing the ball. Present at a press conference on the eve of this shock, Adi Hutter confessed to expect ” suffer “ This Wednesday evening. “We will suffer a lot. All the teams playing against City must be ready to suffer. We want to do our best performance of the season. »» An observation without appeal which probably does not reassure the supporters of AS Monaco.
