Preview: Monaco, Strasbourg Aim for Bounce Back Win

AS Monaco and RC Strasbourg will look for a bounce back win when the two sides clash on Saturday at the Stade de la Meinau after disappointing losses last weekend.

Monaco did put themselves back on the right foot with a midweek victory in the UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 result against Bologna. Adi Hütter and his team will now aim to replicate this performance to snap a three match winless streak in Ligue 1 after a draw to LOSC Lille and losses to OGC Nice and Angers SCO.

Despite the success in the Champions League, Monaco have hit a wall in league play with their last win coming on October 5 with a 2-1 victory over Stade Rennais. While Monaco want to get back on track to remain in the Ligue 1 title race, Hütter understands that they'll be facing a good team.

"I have a lot to say about this team. They're a very strong side, even though they lost their last match against Saint-Étienne. Still, they played well in that game. When you look at their performances at home against teams like Lens and Marseille, or even away against Paris Saint-Germain, they’re a solid team."

"I’ll say it again—they play with a lot of aggression and intensity. Their setup is different, though, with three defenders, two defensive midfielders, and two players behind the striker. They can have some difficulties at times, but we’ll be showing our players an analysis of this team today.

"They’re also the youngest team in Ligue 1, I believe, and they play a very exciting, intense style of football. They have some really talented players, like Sebastian Nanasi and Diego Moreira, who is a great player."

The 54-year-old Monaco manager also provided updates on key players, including Denis Zakaria, Mohammed Salisu, and Folarin Balogun.

"Denis Zakaria and Mohammed Salisu are both back in training today. We're hopeful that most of the squad will be available for the important match against Strasbourg."

"Folarin Balogun is also making good progress and should be back after the international break. He’s been working closely with the medical team to return as soon as possible, and in the meantime, he's doing training exercises that don't involve contact with his shoulder."

Strasbourg are coming off a rare loss to Saint-Étienne considering the squad only had two defeats this season before last weekend's result. Despite the disappointing defeat, manager Liam Rosenior believes that losing will serve as a learning experience to his young squad.

"We will learn from this match. We faced a tight, very disciplined block. They caused us problems that almost no team has caused us this season. We have played so far against teams that have given us enough space for our players to express themselves. This is the first time that a team has not matched the characteristics of our players. We have to learn from these matches."  

"Monaco are a very good team with an excellent coach. We are focusing on the pitch and the match, not on the opponent's latest results. It can be dangerous to focus on the form of a team; I don't see many weaknesses in them. We need to maximize our strengths and improve, or hide, our weaknesses." 

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