Friendly: AS Monaco produce thrilling comeback to defeat Bologna
In what was a game of two halves, AS Monaco produced a sensational comeback to overturn a 2-0 deficit to win 2-3 away from home.
The Match
Setting his side up in a 3-2-4-1 again, Adi Hutter selected a strong team for this friendly that was littered with class – just like the new third jersey his troops were wearing.
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Despite ASM starting the match in promising fashion, it was Bologna who struck first through Antonio Raimondo inside five minutes.
It wasn’t long before Thiago Motta’s men doubled their advantage, with the Rossoblu finding the back of the net once more courtesy of Lewis Ferguson.
Finding themselves down by two by the quarter-hour mark, Les Monegasques had it all to do if they were to get back into the contest. And, to their credit, they began hitting their groove and creating plentiful chances throughout the remainder of the first half.
Although they didn’t score and were behind 2-0 at the interval, they crucially carried their momentum into the second stanza. They then rewarded themselves for all their quality work when Aleksandr Golovin halved the deficit with a masterful finish from outside the box.
Not content with that, there was much to admire about how ASM kept pushing in the warm conditions. All their probing would eventually pay off, for Golovin was on hand to level the ledger with another sublime effort from range.
To seal the deal, Guillermo Maripan grabbed a late winner to claim an unlikely victory and to propel ASM to their third consecutive win.
Hutter’s Insights
Having spoken in an exclusive interview on ASM’s website this week, his words on what he wants from his team rang true in this impressive, character-filled performance.
“I like for my teams to play aggressive football in a good way, to be proactive, with a clear idea of how to play. This must go with the desire to have a conquering state of mind, to show character, when they lose the ball for example. It is important that everyone finds their place in this vision. As a coach, I like to communicate a lot. I also have to be a leader, even if I prefer to be a team player like Thiago (Scuro) expressed so well,” he insisted.
“In the end, it’s me who makes the decisions, but I have to make everyone come together and puts all of their energies towards the same objective. I also like to maintain a relationship with my players, to speak with them, because behind everyone there is a human being. So I want to create this link, because in the end it’s the players who are on the pitch, not me. We must therefore do everything to ensure that they are all in the best condition.”
He then insightfully added this on the importance of the pre-season: “For development, preparing for the season, showing players that you always have to do more it (the pre-season) is so valuable. It also helps to work on the state of mind and make them adhere to my ideas, which I must transmit to them. This is the biggest difficulty, the transmission. Then the objective is to prepare physically, and we were lucky at St. George’s Park to benefit from its superb facilities. In addition to having an acceptable temperature in which to train, because it is very hot at the moment in Monaco.
“Finally, it is also an opportunity to do team-building activities, because you need time for everyone to get to know each other. It is also my job with the staff, to build this sort of relationship.”
Genoa on the horizon
Up next for Monaco as they continue their preparation for the new campaign is an intriguing clash with Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, where they’ll be eager to keep up their fine form.