PSG-Monaco: who is Axel Disasi, the defender who muzzled Kylian Mbappé?

Tuesday February 16, Gerard Pique was desperately trying to cling to his jersey and Kylian Mbappé scored a sparkling hat-trick against Barça.

Sunday February 21, the PSG striker did not shoot once in the defeat (0-2) against Monaco, only touched five balls in the area and took revenge on his evening chaperone 'A bad shot in stoppage time which earned him a yellow.

Who is responsible for its torments and ineffectiveness?

Monegasque defender Axel Disasi.

Established on the right of the defensive trio also composed of Benoît Badiashile and Guillermo Maripan, the 22-year-old has perfectly controlled the speed of the world champion.

“We had to muzzle Kylian Mbappé, (Axel) Disasi played a great match, combining with Sofiane (Diop) and Ruben (Aguilar),” greeted his coach, Niko Kovac.

It seems that the athletic dimension of Disasi was also important in the eyes of the technician.

“I put Axel on this evening (Sunday) because he is more physical than Djibril (Sidibé), and to muzzle Mbappé it was better.

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To see him start the meeting was however a surprise.

Since a victory (5-2) in Lorient in early January, the defender had always started on the bench, his coach preferring the Badiashile-Maripan pair in the Monegasque 4-4-2.

A little stop for the one who had scored points since his arrival from Reims this summer, until wearing the captain's armband during the first leg against PSG in November (3-2) in the absence of Wissam Ben Yedder.

"Nobody could have said that he had the profile of the very high level"

But the one who joined the Rock for 13 million euros (plus 2 million bonus) did not have a straight career.

As a teenager, the PSG refused after a test while he was playing in Senlis (Oise).

The young man from Villiers-le-Bel (Val-d'Oise) is welcomed at the Paris FC training center.

“Honestly, he hadn't caught our eye more than that then, no one could ever have said that he had the profile of the very high level”, admitted in November in the Parisian - Today in France Mathieu Lacan, his former trainer with the U19s of the capital.

Outclassed with the U19s, Axel Disasi is then launched with the pros in Ligue 2 during a match against Lens at the end of 2015. “I didn't need to reassure him, remembers Hervé Lybohy, the former captain of the PFC, with whom he was aligned in central defense.

When he came up with us, he surprised me with his maturity.

He was really posed for his age.

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The future of the Blues according to Kovac

His maturity attracted Reims, which signed him in 2016. First barred by the pair Abdelhamid-Engels, the athletic defender (1.90 m) took advantage of the departure of the second to Aston Villa to continue the matches.

And become the revelation of last season in the Marne where he played 27 matches in the top flight.

In Monaco, his coach designated him as a potential future defender of the Blues.

“If I get up in the morning, it's to be rewarded.

But for the moment, the France team is not really in my mind yet, explained the person concerned in November.

I focus on my club, and depending on my performance maybe the selection will come later.

This would be the opportunity to discuss Sunday's match with Kylian Mbappé.