AS Monaco – Olympique de Marseille: A Taste Of The Season Ahead? (2-0)

By the end of the game, Olympique de Marseille were left to grimace and reflect. The season ahead looks as if it could be a long one for a club more used to chasing the illusion of success than facing the realities of their situation. AS Monaco, on the other hand, were left with hope and the sense that they could return to their position as the best of the rest. 

Tactical analysis and match report by Nick Hartland.

AS Monaco were in need of a new manager this summer after Sébastian Pocognoli was given his marching orders. There was a sense of stagnation around the club and a desire for fresh ideas and impetus, and for that they decided to turn away from Europe and pick up Filipe Luís, following his dismissal from Flamengo. At Flamengo, Luís had won Serie A, Copa do Brasil, and also the Copa Libertadores. 

Tension once again simmered beneath the surface at Olympique de Marseille this week. A 4-0 win over RC Strasbourg Alsace could only momentarily paper over the cracks formed by Marseille’s need to sell. Igor Paixão remains one of the club’s more bankable assets, but his departure would go against head coach Bruno Génésio’s wishes, who told the press, “I want to keep all the good players; no coach wants to lose his best players.”

Luís set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Lukas Hradecky was in goal. In defense, Flávio Nazinho . . .