Analysis: Multifaceted Zakaria stamping his mark for AS Monaco
Denis Zakaria yet again underlined what an important asset he is for Adi Hutter’s AS Monaco by producing a polished performance in their hard-fought win over Brest.
Having been forced to fill in on many occasions in defence for Les Monegasques due to their injury problems at the back this term, the tactically flexible and versatile Zakaria excelled in this one operating in his preferred post in the heart of midfield.
Advertising
While his most striking contribution was opening the scoring for Les Monegasques with a powerful, brave header, that was also his debut goal for his new side and saw him become the 11th ASM player to find the back of the net in the 2023/2024 campaign, there was so much more to admire about his multifaceted body of work in the engine room.
“For a player, scoring is always something incredible. I am very happy to have done this in front of our crowd and in our stadium. But the important thing was really the three points and that’s what I’m most happy with,” he explained.
Hutter then added: “Despite his size, it’s not one of his best qualities to impose himself in the air and score with a header from a set piece (smiles)! But in this situation, he took advantage of the very good corner hit by Golo. In any case he also did a very good job defensively with his teammates.”
Undertaking his defensive work with a nice blend of energy and intelligence, he hardly put a foot wrong to constantly break up attacks.
Whether it was pressing with intensity, tracking back vigorously to support his team when dealing with transitions, holding his own in 1v1s and dealing with his marking assignments tidily, the athletically gifted Zakaria was hugely important.
A shrewd reader of the play, attentive to danger in his designated area of operation and making sound calls when to step up, drop back to assist his defence, follow a runner or shift across, there was much to admire about his focus and judgement.
Hindering the progress of his adversaries on countless occasions and covering the turf proficiently with his long strides and speed, the way he closed down foes, picked up loose balls and used his long legs to stretch out to nip in and regain possession were extra reasons for upside.
Offering Monaco excellent balance, structural security and showing his experience by communicating frequently with his foes and helping out his younger colleagues with his leadership, his stopping contribution was very positive.
Indeed, the fact he made 15 ball recoveries, was successful in 15 of his 19 duels, chimed in with six interceptions, completed three clearances and won two aerial duels illustrated his substantial efforts.
Playing his role efficiently on the offensive end as well alongside Youssouf Fofana, Zakaria kept things ticking over neatly, as he completed every single one of his passes to help his team build through the thirds coherently.
Considered and concise with his distribution and playing the more expansive deliveries when the time was right, it was a pleasure to watch him be so composed and calm with the ball at his feet.
Aside from smartly getting the ball into the feet of ASM’s dangerous attackers, switching the angle of attacks and breaking the lines a couple of times, his dribbling also caught the eye.
Awake to danger and a master at using his towering frame to not only protect and hold the ball up, but also to spin away from trouble with his slick skills and withstand pressure with his arms, this elevated his menace and allowed him to embark on some of his trademark, elegant runs upfield.
His marauding runs in behind without the ball were superb too, for he incisively timed his surges into the final third to exploit gaps and heighten his team’s threat. Waiting for the ideal conditions before setting off and making sure both he and midfield partner Fofana weren’t both pushing on to ensure coverage was present in the event of a turnover, watching them dovetail was an interesting feature.
His tactical nous also came to the fore when he helped form 3v2 overloads to give his team an edge when building out, which allowed them to facilitate third man combinations, and from how he’d draw his marker to open central passing lanes. The examples below illustrate this aptly.
By the numbers in an attacking sense, his three shots, three dribbles at 100%, three touches inside the box, three accurate passes into the final third at 100% and two progressive runs gave an indication of his uplifting efforts in this phase.
Unquestionably proving his worth for his new team since arriving in the summer from Juventus for a hefty €20 million, he’s been an integral component, with his versatility and all-round quality paying off already.
Reunited with Hutter again having previously worked under him twice, this has been another important factor towards his fast start, which has notably streamlined his settling in process.
“It’s great to have him back coaching me. I know him really well because I’ve worked with him twice, at Young Boys Bern and Borussia Monchengladbach. So I’m going to collaborate with him again and I’m very happy about it. I know he is a quality coach and very close on a human level to his players. I get along very well with him. And then we have a good team, so I think we have all the ingredients to have a good season together,” he told Monaco’s official website.
Ready to keep up his momentum within this high-flying ASM side and happy to play wherever and whenever needed, Zakaria’s looking the goods at this early juncture.
The challenge now will be sustaining this level to keep his place, for competition for spots are fierce at the club without European football to contend with. But given all his experience at the highest level for both club and country, relationship with Hutter and diverse skill set, he’ll be backing himself to truly cement his place before too long on the French Riviera.