Ranieri happy with Monaco´s structure

Monaco head coach Claudio Ranieri said his side can take great confidence from their 1-1 draw with Paris Saint Germain in Ligue 1.

Ranieri’s side sit top of the table, ahead of Marseille on goal difference, but having played a game less, with PSG the only other unbeaten side in the French top-flight.

But the Italian said it was important his side remained focused ahead of their hosting of 10th-placed Bastia on Wednesday, as their opponents had not been beaten in their past three league outings.

“We are taking each game one by one and obviously we will try to get a result against Bastia,” Ranieri said on Tuesday.

“This game in Ligue 1 is vital for us and we can stay top with a win.

“It is very important for us to keep up our good form. Now the big decision for me is to choose the best line up for Wednesday so I can get a win.

“The season is very long and the title is not won after just a few games. For us each game is a discovery.”

The 61-year-old coach said his side managed to keep their shape against French giants PSG and he hoped that performance could act as a template for matches to come.

“The key for the team would be to stay compact and organised as we were against Paris,” Ranieri said.

“We have managed to gain a lot from that result because to play against Paris Saint-Germain is not an easy task. We tried to put them in danger.

“The most important thing for us is to be focused on winning the game. We could not win but until the end we tried to, with the chances for (Radamel) Falcao and (Yannick Ferreira) Carrasco.

“For me the focus is vital for the team and we have to build a mentality within the squad.”