‘We’ve always said we’re targeting the top four this season’ – Folarin Balogun on AS Monaco’s revival
Going into the match against RC Lens in late February, AS Monaco’s season felt on a knife-edge. Adi Hütter’s side had been on the podium for much of the season, but a string of poor performances, particularly at home against ‘inferior’ sides, saw them slip down the standings.
A victory at the Bollaert, secured by an injury-time strike by Takumi Minamino, was followed up by a deserved draw against Paris Saint-Germain. Sunday’s 1-0 victory over RC Strasbourg Alsace sees Les Monégasques consolidate their podium place once again and close the gap to second-placed Stade Brestois to just a single point.
Speaking after the Principality club’s victory over Les Alsaciens, USMNT forward Folarin Balogun revealed that a top-four finish, synonymous with qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League, has always been on the agenda. “We’ve always said we’re targeting the top four this season. We have to keep focused on this objective,” said the former Stade de Reims forward.
Hütter evoked “nine finals” when referring to Monaco’s run in between now and the end of the season. Whilst they have opened up a gap, Lille OSC and Lens are just three points behind; OGC Nice are five points back, whilst a resurgent Olympique de Marseille are six points away. There is still a long way to go for Monaco to achieve their clearly stated objective.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
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