AS Monaco: Three key takeaways from the international break so far
On an international break where a club-record 25 AS Monaco players were selected to represent their country, several absorbing storylines emerged.
Here are three of the most compelling from an action-packed series of fixtures across the globe for players from the Principality club.
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Biereth debuts for Denmark
After emphatically taking Ligue 1 by storm since joining ASM in January by scoring 11 goals in nine games, Mika Biereth deservedly earned his maiden call-up to Denmark’s senior squad for their colossal UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie with Portugal.
Being handed a start for the first leg in Denmark, the 22-year-old put his best foot forward and showcased his class on many occasions throughout his 59 minutes afield in what was a vital 1-0 victory for the Danes.
Posting it was a day he’ll never forget, his appearance for Denmark also confirmed his international allegiance, as he was also intriguingly eligible to represent England, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany before picking the Red and Whites.
With his decision to play for Denmark drawing many headlines, it was interesting to see Germany and Bayern Munich star, and Biereth’s best friend, Jamal Musiala, express his disappointment that he didn’t opt to represent Germany. Biereth’s response made perfect sense from his perspective, though, as he explained his reasons clearly to TV 2 Sport.
“I have spoken to him, and he would have liked me to have chosen Germany. But in my heart I have always wanted to play for Denmark, and I am happy that I have come here. I hope that I can play a few minutes and become a real national team player”, Biereth said to TV 2 Sport.
“Our families are close, so he knows that I am also German. He speaks German with my father, and he is not too happy with it. But I am satisfied and I am looking forward to it.”
Vanderson starts for Brazil
Given the nod by Brazil manager Dorival Junior to start against Colombia for Brazil’s important World Cup qualifying match, Vanderson put in a solid shift at right-back.
While he endured a tough battle with the outstanding Luis Diaz of Liverpool, there were still many instances where the Monaco dynamo held his own.
By the numbers, his eight duels won, five ball recoveries and four interceptions underlined his spirited effort vs. Los Cafeteros.
Having been in excellent form for Adi Hutter’s Monaco this term across his 34 appearances, getting the nod for this massive clash was a testament to all his quality work for Les Monegasques.
Confident, entering the prime of his career and improving all the time, the 23-year-old will now be looking forward to the challenge of Argentina this week before returning to Monaco, where the derby awaits vs. OGC Nice.
Minamino books ticket to the 2026 World Cup with Japan
Takumi Minamino was a key cog towards Japan booking their spot at the 2026 World Cup, as they comfortably defeated Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama.
Forming an exciting Japanese frontline alongside Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda, Minamino produced a tidy performance in his 63 minutes afield.
The triumph notably also ensured the Samurai Blue became the first country aside from the three hosts in the United States, Mexico and Canada to secure their place at the showpiece.
Up next for Minamino and his Japan teammates is another fixture at home, which will see them face off with Saudi Arabia.
After extending his Monaco contract at the beginning of the month, this achievement is a superb way to end the month for the technically gifted maestro, who’s positively found his form again following a down period.
“First of all, we are delighted that he has extended his contract with the club. He is our most experienced player, so we are very happy that he will continue the adventure until 2027. Like the team, he had a difficult period at the start of the year, during which he had many opportunities but without much success,” Hutter insisted.
“But now, I have the feeling that he is back and that he is having a big impact, so that is very encouraging. It is not always easy to find an explanation for poor form, that is part of football. In any case, we are very happy that he is staying with us. Sometimes our job is also to transmit as much confidence as possible to the players so that they find their way back to goal. You can see as an observer that he is probably one of the best players between the lines. He always has the right intuition about his positioning and he knows how to position himself to best use the spaces. It must not be easy to defend against him to be honest. He is also a different profile from Maghnes Akliouche, Eliesse Ben Seghir and Aleksandr Golovin on the offensive line. In addition, he is very versatile, can play in several positions of the attack and therefore gives us several tactical options.”