Sébastien Pocognoli urges Monaco to chase those ahead after 2-0 win over Angers | OneFootball

Monaco beat Angers 2-0 at Louis-II on Saturday in Ligue 1’s 24th round. Chasing European places, Sébastien Pocognoli’s side visit league leaders PSG on Friday aiming to extend their unbeaten run to seven.

According to L'Équipe, Pocognoli said his team must aim to catch those above them and that progress comes through runs. Monaco are six unbeaten in the league, with four wins and two draws, and he called upcoming meetings with Marseille, Lyon, Lille and Strasbourg six-pointers for which they must be ready.

Angers sat deep and Monaco needed close to an hour to break them down. Pocognoli stressed patience, quick ball circulation and finding the free man. He said half-time tweaks, rather than wholesale changes, were enough and the team were rewarded.

Maghnès Akliouche stayed on the bench due to a hip issue. The coach said they would not take needless risks in a match they could manage differently. The target is for him to be at 100% for PSG, and he thinks that is likely.

Angers coach Alexandre Dujeux was not disappointed by his players’ attitude but rued a lack of cutting edge. It was a third straight defeat without scoring after losses to Lorient, 0-2, and Lille, 0-1. He regretted not taking two Yassin Belkhdim chances at 0-0 and said they would work, stay united with humility and move forward.

Dujeux added that Branco Van den Boomen was ill and Burkina Faso international goalkeeper Hervé Koffi, on loan from Lens, hurt his hand, and he hopes to have them back soon.

Source: L'Équipe