Reactions 11 February 2023, 20:31

Youssouf Fofana: "We had a mature match at key moments"

Proud to have seen AS Monaco outclass Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Louis-II in the big match of the 23rd round of Ligue 1 (3-1), our midfielder shared his analysis in mixed zone after the game.

One more… and what a win! At the end of a massive performance, Philippe Clement’s players very clearly dominated the Parisian league leaders at the Stade Louis-II (3-1). These three latest points allowed AS Monaco to temporarily climb into second place. It was a match full of satisfaction for the teammates of Youssouf Fofana, who did not hide his happiness in the mixed zone.

HUGGGGGGGEEEEEE!!! 🤪#ASMPSG pic.twitter.com/LzhqVD4aCz

— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) February 11, 2023

Hello Youssouf. What a game again tonight from you…

We knew it was a big match and that there was something at stake behind this encounter with PSG, since we could temporarily go second in Ligue 1. It’s been done, so we’re going to take advantage of it. But it would be good if we continued on this good momentum.

I think one of the keys was the psychological aspect. Once again we had to show discipline depending on the way the match happened, not change our way of playing. That's what we did very well.

Youssouf FofanaOn what made the difference

We even have the impression that the result could have been even more emphatic. Is that your opinion too?

I don’t think we dominated the game as much, but we were mostly well organised. The Parisians had a hard time moving against us because we were very disciplined, and I think we played a mature game at key moments. So we were very solid, scoring our goals in important periods of the match. Even if they were weakened, it’s still Paris Saint-Germain. The level of requirement should not fall and remain high!

𝗔 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗼 😍

3⃣-1⃣ #ASMPSG pic.twitter.com/Yg2aia2pgy

— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) February 11, 2023

What do you think made the difference today?

(He smiles) I don’t want to give clues to the other teams. I think one of the keys was the psychological aspect. Once again we had to show discipline depending on the way the match happened, not change our way of playing. That’s what we did very well.

Is it a nice “warm-up” before the return of the Europa League?

This is true, because Paris are a world-class team. So it was a good taste of the level needed to face Bayer Leverkusen. I really hope that we will continue this momentum, and that we will not throw all the good things we have done in the trash.

I don't really know how to explain the fact that we are so good in the second half. This is the third season that it's been like this. But what is important is that we are picking up the points and that we are very competitive.

Youssouf FofanaOn the team's second half form

Do you feel that PSG are less scary?

Not at all (he smiles), PSG have dominated French football since 2012. To face them you need a lot of maturity, a solid and concentrated team throughout the match. It had to be done for 93 minutes and that’s what we did.

🔝 HERE WE GO!

🔴 𝗗𝗔𝗚𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗚𝗨 ⚪️
🤝 @VBET_fr

0⃣-0⃣ #ASMPSG pic.twitter.com/JrGuSyEzAB

— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) February 11, 2023

Once again, AS Monaco have shown very good form in the second half of the season…

(Smiles) I don’t really know how to explain the fact that we are so good in the second half. This is the third season that it’s been like this. But what is important is that we are picking up the points and that we are very competitive. We are only at the beginning of this second half of the season, and there are still a lot of games to play. Beating Paris does not mean that we are in the running for the top of the table. It remains a Ligue 1 match, and there are still a lot of teams in the mix.