Minamino set for Monaco league debut in Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg Alsace – AS Monaco
– kick off: 15:00 GMT
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Minamino swapped Liverpool for Monaco at the end of June, and was later joined by Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Breel Embolo among the attacking reinforcements at the Stade Louis II this summer.
The duo made their competitive debut in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round between Monaco and PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday – a 1-1 draw in which Axel Disasi canceled out Joey Veerman’s opener 10 minutes from the end.
Still strong after Tchouameni
Aurélien Tchouameni may have left in a mega-money move for Real Madrid, while fellow midfielders Cesc Fàbregas and Jean-Eudes Aholou have also left for Como and Saturday opponents Strasbourg respectively, but The Red and White can remain confident of their progress ahead of next Tuesday’s second leg.
They beat PSV on their last trip to Eindhoven, Myron Boadu and Sofiane Diop netted in a 2-1 win at the Philips Stadion in October 2021, while the addition of Minamino to their attacking midfield ranks is a serious bargain according to the Monegasque sports director. Paul Mitchell.
Look: Highlights of Strasbourg’s 1-0 win over Monaco in March
“We are the second youngest team in French football and one of the youngest in Europe, and with Taki we wanted to bring in a bit more mature element, which was multi-functional,” he told Sky. Sports.
“Monaco also have to play in the big games in Europe, so we should have profiles like Taki Minamino, who are exciting and attacking.”
Monaco must overtake Strasbourg ahead of next week’s second leg, of course – no small feat considering Racing haven’t lost to Saturday’s visitors in three encounters dating back to September 2020. Philippe Clement also has a host of missing first-team regulars.
Volland, Golovin suspended
Kevin Volland and Aleksander Golovin are suspended for Monaco’s league opener following a backlog of bookings from last season. Minamino could therefore line up at No. 10.
Defenders Benoît Badiashile and Caio Henrique have a foot injury and a positive COVID test to contend with respectively.
Strasbourg finished just three places and six points behind third-placed Monaco last season – narrowly missing out on European football – but their coach Julien Stephan takes his opponents’ injury list with a pinch of salt.
Stephan: “Monaco is doing well”
“I thought Monaco were very good physically on Tuesday,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “We know the staff at this club. They are made to play at the top of the table and in Europe. We will have to be efficient in all areas of the game.”
Strasbourg may have had no continental obligations but they shone in pre-season, beating former employers Minamino Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield in their last outing before this Ligue 1 opener Uber Eats, Adrien Thomasson scoring a double.
Thomasson will be surrounded by a full squad at the Stade de la Meinau, with youngsters Moïse Sahi and Mouhamadou Diarra being Strasbourg’s only slight doubts apart from disgraced Lebo Mothiba, who is ill.
In addition to Aholou, who made his loan to Monaco permanent, Strasbourg signed full-backs Colin Dagba, Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel and Thomas Delaine from Paris Saint-Germain, Mainz and FC Metz this summer.
Delaine is expected to get the nod left with disgraced club captain Dimitri Liénard. Dagba and Pierre-Gabriel were signed to mitigate the loss caused by Frédéric Guilbert’s return to Aston Villa. With Dagba struggling for match fitness, Pierre-Gabriel should get the nod right.
Possible teams
Strasbourg: salts; Perrin, Nyamsi, Djiku; Pierre-Gabriel, Aholou, Bellegarde, Liénard; Thomasson; Diallo, Ajorque
Monegasque: Nubel; Aguilar, Disasi, Maripan, Jakobs; Fofana, Matazo; Vanderson, Minamino, Diop; Ben Yedder
Photo credit: AS Monaco