Reactions 05 September 2022, 05:01

Malang Sarr: "A brilliant match rewarded with a clean sheet"

Starting against his first club, the AS Monaco central defender spoke in the mixed zone of his pride in winning his first derby in Red and White against OGC Nice (0-1).

It was a special match, especially for him! Starting for the first time in the Derby between AS Monaco and Nice on the Rouge et Blanc side, Malang Sarr, trained at the OGC Nice academy, was happy to have picked up three points at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday evening (0-1). This is what he told the press after the match.

Good evening Malang, we imagine that you are satisfied to have won the Derby, especially against your training club?

Yes, it’s necessarily special, it’s always special to come back to face your first club. But I’m really happy with the result, we had a solid match, and were rewarded with a clean sheet. For us, it’s good for our confidence. The work of our attackers paid off with this goal. It’s a brilliant match for us!

Do you feel like you launched your season tonight?

Sure! I think this match will serve as a springboard for the season. It’s a match that will stick in people’s minds but above all give us a lot of confidence to move forward, I’m sure.

✌️ The 𝗖𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗱'𝗔𝘇𝘂𝗿 is ❤️🤍

‣ 0-1 #OGCNASM pic.twitter.com/wJf81vwm57

— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) September 4, 2022

Did you feel an increase in your strength during the second half?

Obviously. In the first half, we expected a lot more intensity from OGC Nice. Sometimes we were even surprised at the freedom we had. In the second half, we accelerated and it showed. When we manage to put the opponent under such difficulty at home, I think we can be very dangerous. Tonight’s result is proof of that.

Beyond his physical aspect that everyone knows, he also brings a sense complementarity to the attack. He is able to hold up a defense on his own and that was the case today.

Malang SarrOn what Breel Embolo adds to the team

Was playing in a 3-5-2 the key tonight?

I think everyone felt good about this setup. As long as the whole team is on the same wavelength and everyone knows what they have to do, we are able to deliver great performances. This was the case tonight!

A word on the evening’s goalscorer, Breel Embolo?

I’m super happy for him! He did a monstrous job up front. We defenders see when a player is running to help us. Breel was rewarded with a goal because he was at the start and end of the play. I also think that this goal will give him even more confidence. In any case, he is a top player.

♠️ 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑬𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒐 👑 pic.twitter.com/xqc4wTBI1M

— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) September 4, 2022

Beyond his physical aspect that everyone knows, he also brings a sense complementarity to the attack. He is able to hold up a defense on his own and that was the case today. When we have a special player in our team, we have to recognize him and we have to know how to play to his strengths!