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AS Monaco’s 1-3 triumph over English giants Arsenal in the first leg of Champions League round-of-16 tie at the Emirates might have come as a surprise to the majority of football fans. But, with anyone following the French side throughout the Champions League group stages and their recent domestic matches, the result is barely as shocking as the media seems to be projecting.
No, Monaco have not been in scintillating scoring form but the French side have been freakishly efficient in the defence. Amongst the giants of Europe to have featured in this year’s Champions League, Monaco have the best defensive record in the group stages, letting in just one goal.
In all competitions, Monaco have conceded only three in their last 17 games coming into the Arsenal game.
With all due respect from their defence, the Monaco goalkeepers have had their roles to play in the astounding record. Monaco’s first choice goalkeeper Danijel Subasic helped his team out by pulling off 16 saves during Monaco’s group stage games.
So what makes the Monaco goalkeepers as good as they are?
We have already seen how Monaco’s goalkeeping training involves training for deflections. In a video, released by the club last month, we get to witness one of the more complicated regimes both Subasic and second choice keeper Marteen Stekelenburg are put through.
The drill involves saving a tennis ball with the foot following by saving a shot at goal after jumping over a high hurdle.
The routine seems to be designed to keep the goalkeepers on their toes for quick follow up shots after a parry. The combination of tennis balls, hurdles and finally a shot specifically trains the keepers not to switch off after making a save.
Watch the drill here:
