Wissam Ben Yedder: "Very important to have won this 100th derby"
Nine and two make eleven. Wissam Ben Yedder showed once again that he is a man for the big occasion, scoring a brace to seal a win for AS Monaco in the 100th Côte d’Azur derby (2-1). It was a high-flying performance for the Monegasque captain, who in the process scored his 10th and 11th goals against OGC Nice, his favorite victim. It is therefore with a broad smile and a sense of serenity that Rouge et Blancs‘ number nine delivered his post-match press conference.
Good evening Wissam. Nice have been your favorite victim before the match with nine goals scored against this team. You are now on 11 after tonight…
It is true that it feels good. It’s a great personal record against Nice, but I didn’t pay attention to that sort of statistic. It was very important to have won this 100th derby for everyone.
You are now eight points ahead of Rennes thanks to this victory…
We are only focused on ourselves, not on our opponents. We don’t pay attention to the table. The derby is not a match like any other, you have to win it. It’s now over, we gave our best and we were rewarded.
Tell us about your masterful free kick…
I think I hadn’t scored from a free kick since Toulouse. I felt in the mood and wanted to take it. When I saw it go in, it was a huge joy. I’m very happy and proud to have sscored, but above all I’m delighted with the win for the team.
🎦⚽️ 𝐋𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞 de @WissBenYedder vu du bord terrain 💥
On appelle ça une @sjovetic depuis le match face à l'Olympique de Marseille 😅#ASMOGCN pic.twitter.com/lFoz8kOxHS— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 3, 2021
You’re more of a scorer in the area, we’re not used to seeing you shoot from that far.
I’m more used to scoring in the box, to getting on to a second ball or a rebound; that’s true. I felt at that point that I could score. I’ve been there, although it’s rare that I take a free kick. I’m very happy, it’s a nice goal mostly because it gives us the win at the end of it all. It was all the more important in this historic 100th derby.
You’re now level in the scoring table with Kevin Volland, is there a little battle between you?
To tell the truth, not especially (smiles). I’m happy for Kevin who is scoring regularly at the moment. On my free kick, he’s the one who sets up the ball. We help each other. It doesn’t matter which of us ends up as the top scorer. We are working to make the team win, and we will have more difficult times, so we have to try to score as many goals as possible.
Are AS Monaco the best team in 2021, along with Lille?
I’m not sure yet, we’re focused on us. The other sides like Lyon are making their way this season and are performing well. We are trying to do our best, to play good football, to continue on our run. We will see at the end of the season, the season is still long.
You have six consecutive wins; the AS Monaco record is 12. Do you think you can go after this record?
It’s ambitious, we’ll talk about it when we reach ten (smiles). The twelve-game winning streak may be within our grasp, but there are still tough games coming up. We’re focus on ourselves, the most important thing was to win tonight. The series continues. Later we shall see.
You came off pretty early. Is it an additional strength for AS Monaco to be able to bring on talented players who are fresh?
We have a lot of young players with quality, we have a slightly more solid squad. They are growing, and they are talented. I am there to help them, I do my best to guide them. We can make a difference together. I’m the captain and I’m more experienced, it’s important to help the younger players, even as the coach is there for that too.
Are you frustrated with your having come off?
No, we all want to score. I would like to stay on the pitch longer, but I’m thinking of the team. I know other players will do the job if I come off, we’ve seen it in the last few games. We stayed strong after my substitution.
Do you have the feeling that the squad seems really complete in all aspects?
We have a very good squad, we have a lot of young players who have gone through difficult times, and we have to be careful to remain strong. We do what we have to do, we are happy with the victory. The next match in Nîmes will be very difficult, we’ll see. The most important thing is that everyone gives their maximum for the collective.
🎦 𝗜𝗹 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲́ 𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘀 💥
👑 @WissBenYedder #ASMOGCN pic.twitter.com/rK3ly6amPH— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 3, 2021
