‘It won’t be like the Gamper’ - Monaco boss talks Champions League clash with Barcelona

Monaco boss Adi Hutter has been chatting about his team’s next game against Barcelona in the Champions League as Europe’s elite competition gets underway with a new look.

The two teams meet in France on Thursday just a few weeks after Monaco ran out 3-0 winners in the Gamper Trophy in Barcelona.

Hutter says it will be a different game this time around and feels that defeat has helped Barca get off to a great start in La Liga.

“I’m not going to reveal the tactics. What I can say is that it won’t be a similar game,” he told Efe.

“I think that, in a way, it was good for Barcelona to lose that game. They have now scored in five consecutive games and have only conceded four goals.

The Monaco boss revealed the respect he has for Barcelona and also insisted he would not instruct his team to man-mark Lamine Yamal.

“I don’t fear any opponent, but I have a lot of respect for one of the biggest clubs in the world,” he added.

“Everyone knows Barcelona. They have Robert Lewandowski up front, who I played with in the Bundesliga; Lamine Yamal, who scored two goals (on Sunday), with a tremendous left foot, a talented young player, a top player; Dani Olmo, who I also know from the Bundesliga and is top, one of the best in Europe; also Raphinha.

“When I was a player, many of my coaches were in favour of man-marking opponents even when they were going to the toilet (laughs). No, seriously, what we want is to stop him as a team, I’m not the kind of coach who orders man-marking.”

Monaco have also enjoyed a good start to the Ligue 1 season, with three wins and a draw from their first four matches.