AS Monaco: we decipher the winning return of Benoît Badiashile against OM
For a return to competition, there was the best place than the Stade Vélodrome, its 56,000 boiling spectators and the Milik-Bakambu-Payet trio. However, it is in this setting that Benoît Badiashile returned to the field, almost two months after his exit through injury (ischio) in Nantes, on January 9. It was then Philippe Clément’s first match at the head of AS Monaco. Until now, the Belgian coach had only been able to count on his young central defender for 44 minutes. When Maripan, hit in the knee in the Cup last Wednesday in Nantes, had to withdraw, the coach did not hesitate to launch Badiashile, even if he knew that he did not have 90 minutes in his legs. “And he’s already had a great gamedid not hide Clement. It is also the work of all the staff, which has been very important in giving him confidence. We worked with the video, on small details…”
The native of Limoges delivered 78 minutes full of authority against Milik or Bakambu, several times taken over or blocked by the defender. A performance all the more remarkable as he had not played as many minutes since November 7 in Reims, before being suspended and experiencing a first muscle injury.
“I feel very good”
“I feel very good”a reacted the main interested party at the exit of the match. “Returning to the Vélodrome was not easy, but the coach helped me to perform. Axel (Disasi) and my teammates helped me a lot too and it was easier. At the end, I had to leave because I was more tired but, for a return, I’m happy”.
His friend from central defense spontaneously mentioned the performance of his younger brother without even being asked the question. “I wanted to welcome the return of Benoît, who was coming back from a long injury. He immediately got up to speed. It’s not easy for a recovery, at the Vélodrome, against a good team and he answered gift”.
A finally surprising match for Badiashile, to make accustomed to this type of copies. If he is not yet 21 (he will celebrate on March 26), the international hopefuls already has more than 100 games played with ASM. At the last winter transfer window, Newcastle was ready to pay 40 million euros on this colossus of one meter ninety-two.
ASM have scored significantly more points when their central defender plays, even if he has missed more than 50% of the meetings since the start of the season. So many arguments that tend to cure that the nugget of the training center is already essential. A term that Philippe Clément prefers to avoid. “It’s always dangerous to say that, but when he plays like today (Sunday), the others are going to have to work hard to get into the starting XI. It must remain at this level and even grow further. He is also a young player and we have a lot of young people in defense, with Axel (Disasi who will turn 24 on Friday), vanderson (20 years). They are ambitious and want to improve…”
Guillermo Maripan offers another profile, much more experienced. The Chilean is turning 28 and already has 39 international caps. If he returns to the group for Braga (Thursday 9 p.m.), there will therefore be three men for two places. Finally a rich choice for Clément, who regretted on Friday having had to do without four major players (Boadu, Golovin, Diatta, and therefore Badiashile) since his arrival.