Thilo Kehrer: "Be united to achieve our goals in Ligue 1"

They now have the opportunity to widen the gap on a direct competitor in the Champions League. Currently fourth in Ligue 1, the AS Monaco players will now travel to Lille, currenlty fifth, this Saturday (5 p.m.), with a two point lead. It was therefore with this spirit of increasing their lead over Les Dogues that Thilo Kehrer spoke in a pre-match press-conference 🎙️

The trip to Lille

It’s a big match that awaits us, a big challenge. We’re going to play away in a stadium with a great atmosphere, against a quality team. We’re doing our best to focus on it in order to prepare well. After the match in Lisbon, There was inevitably disappointment but we analyzed it with the team and the staff. It is now behind us, our eyes are now turned forward.

(Are Lille better than Benfica?) The context will inevitably be different because it is the league and not a playoff match. The Champions League is a special competition, I do not want to make comparisons.

The rest of the season

The state of mind is good and the atmosphere is good in the group even if there was nothing to celebrate because of the elimination. Despite everything, we learned positive things, we gained experience, this will be useful to us for the end of the season. For many, it was indeed the first time they participated in the Champions League. We learned the lessons, we want to keep them to finish strong and be well united to achieve our goal in Ligue 1.

An eye toward revenge in the league

We only have this competition left to play, indeed. At the start of the season, the number 1 objective was to finish on the podium, we have always said that. The Coupe de France and Champions League matches are exciting to play but it’s something extra. Our daily bread is the league and the whole team is focused on that.

Achieving this objective will also involve direct confrontations but we will have to respect each opponent, as we did last year during the last three months of the competition. We are determined and have a good state of mind to get results and start a series. We want to string together good performances because the last part of the season is always important since it is what decides who will finish on the podium.

On Mika Biereth

He has a very positive impact on our team and our game since he quickly adapted to our style. He is a player who fits well into the system through his movements, he is sharp, moves well in space to receive balls. Mika also knows how to create opportunities for his teammates, he is clean in his passing to combine and knows when to play with one or two touches of the ball.

On commence la semaine avec 𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲́ 𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗸𝗮 𝗕𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗵 face à Nantes 🇩🇰😍

Déjà son deuxième en @Ligue1 🤯

‣ #ASMFCN pic.twitter.com/ZSf5z5Xr8F

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 17, 2025

He also has shown composure in front of goal  by converting the majority of his chance. He is a smiling, positive man, who has integrated very easily into our squad. I am very happy that he is here. (On the duels?) He has an impact in aerial or ground duels. He is a player capable of using his physique by being intelligent in the way he uses his body.

The goals conceded against Benfica

We are not happy to have conceded three goals, we have no right to, it is too much and this is a fact. On the other hand, I do not agree that it was tough defensively because we did not concede many chances or spend much time in our half. I do not think that we suffered in this match. We made individual errors, it is true, we must avoid them at this level.

We have analyzed them but it is special because there are not necessarily other cases exactly similar this season, we simply have to avoid them or at least reduce them. We must therefore improve so as not to repeat them, even if there is always the possibility of correcting it with compensation. We must not dwell on that and on what has happened in recent weeks but really think about the next match against Lille.

The duel that awaits him with Jonathan David

We have already played against each other several times. He is a dangerous striker, he has instinct to sense situations and position himself well. He is also clinical in front of goal, so you always have to be focused and be close to him.