With just three Ligue 1 games remaining for Champions League-chasing AS Monaco to close out the season, manager Adi Hutter spoke insightfully ahead of their upcoming clash with Clermont Foot.
Eager to return to the winner's list following their crushing 3-2 defeat to Olympique Lyonnais last time round, expect Les Monegasques to be on it from the off in their quest for victory.
"You can lose in Lyon, that's not the problem. We are still talking about one of the best teams in Ligue 1 in my opinion, which is even second in the return phase. On the other hand, I was very dissatisfied after the 1-0, because we were too passive in the game. They hurt us very badly in transition," explained the Austrian tactician.
"With the half-time changes it was a little better. But when you look at it, we have to defend better. In the end, it wasn't a bad match, but we could have brought something else."
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While facing off with struggling Clermont Foot seems like a straightforward fixture, there's certainly no room for complacency. Hutter touched on this wisely, stating: "We have the same goal as a few weeks ago, we want to finish on the podium. But we respect this team a lot, which has come out of four good matches recently, with two draws against PSG and Montpellier, a good performance in Lens and even a success against Reims."
Preparing his team diligently during the week and wanting them to keep playing with that fierce winning mentality, this should hold ASM in good stead for a positive result at the Stade Louis II.
@ASM Battle of tactical flexibility With Hutter's team adept at operating in either a back three or four and very fluid going forward, which makes them a tough foe to come up against, it'll be intriguing to see what he opts for, especially as Clermont have regularly changed things up, in a game that's set to have plenty of tactical nuance.
"I actually think that it is not easy for our adversaries to analyse us. We can play with three or four at the back, and the same up front with one or two attackers. But it's the same for Clermont who can play in two different systems, with three or four defenders, so we will have to find the right solution to face them," insisted the experienced Hutter.
Embolo's return Another particularly interesting topic that arose came in the form of the 54-year-old expressing his delight at the return of Breel Embolo, who he admitted gives ASM a vital extra offensive outlet due to his unique skill set.
Game on Currently sitting second in the standings, just two points ahead of Brest, and with their destiny in their hands to secure a coveted UCL spot, their encounter with Clermont is a must win one in the crucial sprint to the finish.