Balogun and Diatta's reactions after the victory against Les Verts | OneFootball

Both happy with the win obtained in Saint-Etienne, the American striker, scorer of the third goal, and the versatile Senegalese spoke post-match in the mixed zone.

They’ve won the first of the three decisive matches for qualification for the Champions League. Solid in Saint-Etienne, the AS Monaco players earned a precious 3-1 win thanks notably to a goal from Folarin Balogun. The American striker, starting for the first time after five months, spoke in the mixed zone as long as Krépin Diatta. 🎙️

I was really happy, but I thought I might be flagged offside. So I was a little nervous about celebrating. In any case, I was happy because this goal gave us the opportunity to take a lead in this match, and we needed that.

Folarin BalogunOn celebrating his goal

Good evening, Folarin. How does it feel to be back in the starting XI?

Playing 90 minutes is definitely a positive thing for my fitness and confidence. It’s good to have helped the team win by scoring a goal. I was really happy, but I thought I might be flagged offside. So I was a little nervous about celebrating. In any case, I was happy because this goal gave us the opportunity to take a lead in this match, and we needed that.

What will make the difference in this race for the Champions League?

We knew it was going to be an important and difficult match tonight. Saint-Etienne is a good team; I don’t think they deserve to be at the bottom of the table, but that’s football. We just have to stay focused and united as a team because the next match against Lyon is going to be important.

Was it special to play with Mika Biereth for a few minutes?

The two of us were able to combine for the first goal. We’ve played together in the past at Arsenal, so he’s a player I’m familiar with. We have a very good connection, and I love playing with him. It’s the same with Breel.

What was the most difficult moment during your injury?

It’s always difficult to return to 100% when you injure your shoulder. It takes time to regain one’s full capacity, and I didn’t know when I would be back. I was a little anxious, but I’m glad I took the time because I’m now completely confident.

Nous avons réalisé une entame parfaite. Sur le but de Maghnes, vous pouvez voir une équipe qui a fait le travail tous ensemble. C’est un résultat qui fait du bien mais ce n’est pas une fin en soi parce qu’il nous reste deux finales. Il faudra réussir pareilles entames et montrer que nous sommes capables de prendre les trois points.

The reaction of Krépin Diatta

Good evening, Krépin. How do you feel about this win at Saint-Etienne?

It was a very good match for us. We know the table is tight and we need points, so it’s a very good victory tonight. We’re aware we dropped two points last week, so it was important to get back on track. We’re in the final sprint; we’ll need three points in our last two matches.

We saw you play more intensely tonight…

We didn’t put in a bad performance when we drew, but the problem was our intensity. We could have been trapped in the first 15 minutes. Today, we showed a new face, that of a team that pressed from all sides.

We had a perfect start. Maghnes’ goal showed a team that worked together. It’s a good result, but it’s not the end in itself because we have two finals left. We’ll have to make similar starts and show that we’re capable of taking all three points.

What will determine the final standings?

It will be a matter of mindset. Right now, all the teams have specific qualities, so it will come down to mental strength. The team with the most desire will finish in the Champions League, and I hope it will be us because we deserve it with what we’ve accomplished since the start of the season. We’re aware of that, and we’ll fight for it.

We'll need him, and as I said, everyone is important. We just have to pull together and fight for this club and the supporters. He's someone I love; I spoke to him this week, saying he was back and could help us a lot. He did that today. I'm very happy for him, and I hope he does it again in the last two matches.

Can you say a word about Folarin Balogun, who scored tonight?

When he got injured, he was on an upward trajectory, scoring three goals in a row in the league. This hurt us because he’s capable of playing deep, stretching opposing defenses to give freedom to the number 10s. We saw his importance; he made a lot of runs.

We’ll need him, and as I said, everyone is important. We just have to pull together and fight for this club and the supporters. He’s someone I love; I spoke to him this week, saying he was back and could help us a lot. He did that today. I’m very happy for him, and I hope he does it again in the last two matches.