AS Monaco tightens set-piece defence ahead of Lille clash
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
AS Monaco face Lille this Sunday at 3pm looking to build on a 3-0 win over Freiburg and fewer defensive lapses at set pieces.
AS Monaco return to the Stade Louis II this Sunday at 3pm to host Lille in a match with real European weight attached. The Rouge et Blanc go into the fixture on the back of a convincing 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the Conference League on Thursday, a result that eased some of the tension around the squad's form.
What stood out most from that performance was not just the attacking output but the improvement at the back on set pieces, an area that has repeatedly cost Monaco points since the opening weeks of the season. Corners and free kicks conceded in dangerous areas have been a recurring theme in Monaco's defensive statistics, and shoring up that weakness has become a clear priority for the coaching staff heading into fixtures against sides capable of punishing lapses in marking.
Lille arrive at the Stade Louis II as a side chasing their own European ambitions, making this far more than a routine Ligue 1 fixture. For supporters in Fontvieille and across the Principality, the match is being read as a test of whether Monaco's recent defensive discipline on dead-ball situations can hold up against a team with genuine attacking threat from set plays.