Reactions from Akliouche, Kehrer and Minamino after Galatasaray | OneFootball

After the great victory obtained against Galatasaray, during the sixth matchday of the Champions League, several Monaco players spoke in the mixed zone, all satisfied with the state of mind they'd shown.

They played like men. Rattled in the first half, the AS Monaco players responded well in the second, creating numerous scoring opportunities against Galatasaray (1-0). Their domination was finally capitalized on by Folarin Balogun. After this precious victory which allows us to glimpse sight of the Champions League playoffs, Maghnes Akliouche, Takumi Minamino and Thilo Kehrer spoke in the mixed zone. 🎙️

Good evening Maghnes. It was a very important victory against Galatasaray tonight…

Yes, it was important for our morale and from a points perspective for qualifying for the playoffs. We knew it was a crucial match in our European campaign, so it was essential to take the three points. It was a match where we worked well together, just as we did against Paris, in particular. It’s from this kind of performance that we need to build to repeat them regularly.

Not conceding a goal in the first half helped us in the second. We suffered quite a bit in the first 45 minutes, but the collective reaction afterwards was very important, and that's what allowed us to win.

Maghnes AklioucheOn the first half

You had many opportunities to impose yourselves more decisively…

It’s true that we created quite a few chances, which is the objective from an attacking point of view. We can still improve in this area to secure the win more quickly, which would allow us to rest towards the end of matches.

A quick word about Folarin Balogun, the goalscorer.

He missed some chances, but we saw his strength of character. He never gives up and always wants to be a threat. He had a third opportunity, he put it away, and we congratulated him in the locker room.

Is not conceding a goal in the first half a foundation to build on?

Absolutely. Not conceding in the first half helped us in the second. We struggled quite a bit in the first 45 minutes, but the collective response afterward was crucial, and that’s what allowed us to win. (On his performance) I felt good, I was able to find my teammates. I created several shooting opportunities, which is my goal. I simply have to keep going like this.

Thanks to this victory, you’ve taken another step towards the playoffs.

We’ve definitely taken a step forward. These three points are a real boost and bring us closer to qualification. Now we have two matches left to pick up points and maybe even win against Real Madrid and Juventus. They will be two exciting matches against very good teams. We’ll try to approach them in the best possible way, but we’re excited about playing against them and hope to put in some great performances.

The reaction of Takumi Minamino

Good evening, Takumi. You responded well in the second half after a difficult first 45 minutes.

It’s true that we had some tough moments in the first half. At halftime, we decided to change our pressing game in attack. That’s why we created several chances and were rewarded with a goal from a set piece. It’s a great victory against Galatasaray.

It's true that we're going to face two very strong opponents, but before thinking about Real Madrid and Juventus, we first need to focus on the next Ligue 1 match in Marseille. That's also a very important game, and I hope we'll approach that away game the same way we did today.

Takumi MinaminoOn what's next in the competition

Tell us about the character of Folarin Balogun, the only goalscorer of the evening.

It’s normal to miss chances when you’re a striker. He believed in himself, and it paid off because he scored the decisive goal that allowed us to take the three points. That’s the most important thing, and I hope he continues like this. (On his potentially decisive pass) I myself missed opportunities and made mistakes today. We’re a team; it’s not a big deal.

It was important to get three points before two big matches…

It’s true that we’re going to face two very strong opponents, but before thinking about Real Madrid and Juventus, we first need to focus on the next Ligue 1 match in Marseille. That’s also a very important game, and I hope we’ll approach that away game the same way we did today.

How do you explain these two different sides we’ve shown this season?

We always try to be better and maintain the same motivation in every match, but unfortunately, we’ve dropped points against teams at the bottom of the table. We need to improve in that area. I can understand that some might feel like we’re picking and choosing our matches, but we always try to give 100%, and that’s certainly true for me personally.

The reaction of Thilo Kehrer

Good evening Thilo. Did you ever doubt you wouldn’t be able to make the difference?

There’s bound to be frustration when you miss chances, and it’s inevitably stronger for the ones who miss them. But we told ourselves we had to keep believing in ourselves during the short break to treat the Turkish goalkeeper. So we continued to give it our all, created more opportunities, and were rewarded.

We need to stay humble. Lately, we've beaten PSG, then lost to Brest, and then won another great match against a strong Galatasaray side. We just want to keep this momentum going. It's up to us to be consistent, to show our quality on the pitch, and to do our best to achieve top performances.

Thilo KehrerRegarding the necessary mindset

Do you understand the frustrations when people see what you’re capable of?

We’ve lacked consistency in recent weeks. There are a few things that could explain this, but we’re not here to make excuses. We want to do better to climb back up the league table. We need to use tonight’s victory and the way we won to maintain the positive aspects we showed against PSG and replicate them every time.

What mindset should you have now?

We need to stay humble. Lately, we beat PSG, then lost to Brest, and then won another great match against a strong Galatasaray team. We just want to keep this momentum going. It’s up to us to be consistent, to show our qualities on the pitch, and to do our best to achieve top performances. We understand there might be some dissatisfaction; that’s normal in football. We’re aware of that, but we’re still focused on the pitch. That’s what we did tonight, and we have to do it going forward.

Do you feel you’ve found your footing again in this 4-2-3-1 formation?

I’d rather talk about the intensity that made us strong over the last two seasons; we need to be able to rediscover that foundation. It’s not the three, four, or five defenders that are important, it’s how we execute it and the way we do it, with energy and conviction.

Through his playing style, Denis brings a presence and a calmness that helps to temper our game. He is also formidable in duels, winning many of them, while maintaining excellent tactical positioning. His role is truly important.