Monaco do not mind being labelled Champions League underdogs for their last 16 tie with Arsenal and will not lack confidence having progressed to the knockout stage as group winners, coach Leonardo Jardim said.
Monaco do not mind being labelled Champions League underdogs for their last 16 tie with Arsenal and will not lack confidence having progressed to the knockout stage as group winners, coach Leonardo Jardim said.
"Since the start of the Champions League Monaco have never been favourites, that said we still managed to finish top of our group and that's thanks to the players' work," Jardim told a news conference on Tuesday, a day before the Ligue 1 side play Arsenal in the first leg in London.
"With the same case again, we don't start this game as favourites but it shouldn't stop us playing well, and it shouldn't stop us taking advantage of the opportunity we have."
Monaco finished top of a Group C also featuring Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St Petersburg and Benfica while Arsenal went through as Group D runners-up behind Borussia Dortmund.
Jardim said while Arsenal were no doubt happy to avoid the competition's big guns, it was also a good draw for them as well.
"Obviously Arsenal fans were very happy but Monaco fans were happy because it's what everyone wanted in the draw.
"So our strategy is to try and be solid and to not allow Arsenal's midfield or their key attacking players to actually unbalance us. I expect our side to be similar to the one that got us through the group stage in the first place."
Monaco, fourth in Ligue 1, have left back Layvin Kurzawa fit after injury but defensive midfielder Jeremy Toulalan is suspended and did not make the trip.
Striker Dimitar Berbatov, who played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Fulham, said Arsenal played football "how it should be played".
"Everybody knows they're a great team," he said.
"They have very, very quick players so they can play good counter attack as well or when they slowly build up the game they have quality players with a lot of technique."
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