Monaco was unstoppable Ligue 1 Before the international break and now champions league Spots are within reach.
The Principality team have won their last six games and are on a nine-game unbeaten run heading into Sunday’s match against third-placed Marseille. A win would put Monaco level on points with their southern rivals in the French table.
It’s quite a turnaround for Sebastian Pocognoli’s men, who were 14 points behind Marseille at the end of January.
Pocognoli led Union Saint Giroise to the Belgian league title last season, but initially struggled to adapt to the Riviera. But his aggressive approach, intense pressing and shrewd substitutions are finally paying off.
Add to that the recent form of Folarin Balogun (seven goals in the last seven games), and sixth-placed Monaco are strong candidates for a top-three spot in the Champions League. The 4th place team will pass the preliminary round.
“There are several teams in front of us, so we are chasing from a weak position and putting pressure on them,” Pocognoli said. “This is the result of the difficult period we endured from November to January. We aim to gain a few more places in the standings before the end of the season.”
major matches
It’s a tight battle for the top spot in the standings between defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and second-placed Reims. With seven matches remaining, PSG leads by one point after one game.
PSG host Toulouse on Friday, while Reims face a difficult trip to northern neighbors Lille on Saturday. Reims was furious last week at the French league’s decision to postpone the match against PSG on April 11. There are doubts about the fairness of sports.. The league took the decision to allow PSG to better prepare for the Champions League quarter-finals against Liverpool.
Featured players
magness Akryosh I scored decisive for Monaco Before the international break. He gained momentum during France’s short tour of the United States. The creative midfielder played 10 minutes during the match. France won 2-1 Starter against Brazil Lost to Colombia 3-1. Akrios also impressed with his tactical decisions and his assist to Markus Thuram.
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The international break dealt a terrible blow to Strasbourg’s ambitions. The Alsatian club lost Argentine forward Joaquin Panicelli, who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament during national team training. That injury kept him out until the end of the season. Panichelli is Rising star of Ligue 1 Joined from Spain’s Deportivo Alavés. This season, he was the league’s top scorer with 16 points.
off the pitch
On Thursday, sports newspaper L’Equipe announced the highest salaries in Ligue 1. Unsurprisingly, PSG remained in first place with an average total annual salary of 650,000 euros (approximately $749,000) per player. PSG’s personnel costs increased by 3,000 euros per player compared to the previous season and remained stable.
According to L’Equipe, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele He was the highest paid player in Ligue 1, reportedly earning €1.5 million a month.
PSG’s runners-up, Marseille, had an average monthly salary of 300,000 euros, 50,000 euros more than last season. Monaco finished on the podium with 140,000 euros. Lens remained in 10th place with an average of €80,000 per player.
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