Ruben Aguilar: "Move forward and start a new run"
He’s back! After celebrating his return to Ligue 1 in the draw at Troyes last weekend (2-2), Ruben Aguilar intends to get back to his best, to help the Rouge et Blanc to stay on podium. Before Reims visit the Stade Louis-II (Sunday, 5:05 p.m.), the French defender spoke of the keys to halting the good form of one of the most successful teams in the league.
Bouncing back after Troyes
We obviously want to bounce back after our recent results. It will be a touch match against Reims and we know it. We worked our best this week to get back to winning ways on Sunday. After the match against Troyes, it’s true that there was frustration because we didn’t leave with three points.
The start was not good but we got into it from the 15th minute. If we had scored, the scenario would have been different. We lacked consistency throughout the match. But we can’t throw away everything because we knew how to react after going behind.
What Guillermo Maripán brings to the team
His return is very good news and will do us good. Memo is a real soldier, I love him. He always gives 200%, and it’s so much the better if he is present. We have several players available in this position, so the coach has all he needs to best prepare for the match.
Axel and Memo have played many games together since the start of the season and are complementary. He is someone who brings us a little light and joy every day. But on the pitch, he is a warrior and it is good to have him in the dressing room.
Ready for Reims 👍
🔜 #ASMSDR pic.twitter.com/X3AmsYEzw0
— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) March 8, 2023
Recent results
I don’t have any specific explanations apart from the fact that we haven’t won the last three games. Before these results, we were in incredible form and you have to quickly move forward to start a new streak. It would be too easy if we had good results all year. It’s up to us to work out what’s wrong because we know that all matches are tough in Ligue 1. The Europa League is now behind us and we must focus on the league now.
Give it all 💪
🔜 #ASMSDR pic.twitter.com/d0hgAkyf2y
— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) March 9, 2023
A word on Reims
They’re a great team. They are in great form and are on an 18-game unbeaten streak. It was against us that they suffered their last defeat in the league. They work together very well, have a good coach and play in a low block. But we also have a good squad. We know it will be a difficult match and we will have to respond. It’s exciting to face them in view of their latest results.
The battle for the podium
There are 12 games left. If we want to finish as high as possible, we will have to pick up as many points as possible. We will have to be focused on ourselves, not watching what others are doing and taking it game by game. At the end of the season, we will have to tell ourselves that we have done the job and that there is nothing to regret if we want to achieve our goal.
You can’t start calculating how to finish second or fourth. What interests us is to finish in the European places and if at the end of the season, we are still in third, we will play in the preliminary rounds, and they will again be exciting matches to experience. But of course we want to finish second.
