Monaco vs PSG: PSG embarrassed in Ligue 1 without Messi, as Monaco cruises to a 3-0 victory
Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG side continued their terrible run of results by putting in a sloppy effort away to Monaco without Lionel Messi, as the hosts deservedly won 3-0.
The home team was aggressive right from the start. They pressured and harassed the Parisian team, giving their guests no time to react. Despite the fact that Monaco played on Thursday, PSG struggled to keep up with the game’s speed. They scarcely got a touch of the ball outside their own penalty area in the first 20 minutes.
Just when you thought Monaco would be kicking themselves for not scoring sooner, Wissam Ben Yedder put them ahead. Monaco deserved it, as PSG continued to struggle with passing the ball out.
The hosts were given little respite after halftime, as Monaco continued to press relentlessly despite PSG’s modifications in the second half. Monaco added a second goal with an easy finish from Kevin Volland to double the lead.
Monaco would add a third goal before the end of the game, when Presnel Kimpembe conceded a penalty and Gianluigi Donnarumma bungled a saveable penalty by Ben Yedder, a disastrous moment for the PSG goalkeeper that summed up the Parisians’ day.
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1H 2H Final
Monaco 1 3 3
PSG 0 0 0
25th min — MON — Ben Yedder (Fofana)
68th min — MON — Volland (Aguilar)
84th min — MON — Ben Yedder (pen)
(All times Eastern)
From Stade Louis II, that’s your lot. The scoreline does not reflect Monaco’s superb performance, which was offset by a poor effort from the visitors. PSG’s Champions League hangover is real, and it might have major ramifications.
91st minute: Three minutes of extra time have been added, although the game is effectively done. Pochettino’s side put in another another poor display.
87th minute: Ben Yedder came off following the goal and was replaced by Ben Yedder. Clement also uses the opportunity to replace Jean Lucas with Maripan. The defender has recovered from a knee injury and will play a few minutes as Monaco finishes the game.
84th minute: GOAL!! Monaco Ben Yedder had to wait a long time for the referee’s approval, but he ultimately gets it. To Donnarumma’s right, he goes low. It’s not a particularly good penalty because it’s too central and at a comfortable height. The Italian appears to be certain of saving it, but it somehow bounces off the referee’s left hand post and nestles just inside his left hand post, encapsulating the game perfectly.
82nd min: Penalty! Verratti gives away the ball under pressure from Ben Yedder and Volland. The former sets the latter through and he bears down on goal. Kimpembe tries a desperate lunge on the edge of the area, and the referee points to the penalty spot. There’s a length VAR check as Ben Yedder waits to take the spot kick.
80th min: Verratti takes a quick free kick to slip Icardi in, and he swivels and shoots on his left, but Nubel is out to smother the chance. Monaco threaten to break at pace, but Gueye gets across well with a sliding challenge to stop the goal being threatened. The hosts come forward again, but Marquinhos manages to see out Ben Yedder’s ball as he tries to find a teammate overlapping into the penalty area.
77th min: The visitors have also made changes, with Icardo and Gueye on for Wijnaldum and Paredes. PSG are keeping the pressure on, but not making too many chances. Two more changes for PSG as Draxler and Diallo replace Mendes and Neymar.
74th min: The hosts have brought Jakobs on for Golovin, as Hakimi goes close. A ball across from the left finds him arriving late, and he fires the ball at goal, but it’s too close to Nubel. Tchouameni picks up a booking and Neymar is caught after elbowing an opponent while trying to get past them. The Brazilian has to be careful, he’s already been booked and pushed an opponent in frustration in the first half.
72nd min: It’s a long way back for PSG. While they’ve had dangerous moments in the game, they’ll have to step things up if they’re take get anything from this match.
68th min: GOAL! Monaco! Call him Kevin Goaland! It’s good play from Fofana to secure the ball in midfield and release Ben Yedder down the right. He plays it into the path of Aguilar, who is underlapping, and in turn he finds Volland, who sweeps home from close range. Despite PSG’s improvement in the second half, it’s still too easy for Monaco to get at them.
67th min: Marquinhos finds himself in a Monaco sandwich and Volland is booked, a little harshly. PSG seeing much more of the ball now though, and the pressure is growing. Monaco manage to counter, with Ben Yedder doing well to hold the ball up before releasing Jean Lucas down the right, but he can’t find a teammate with his cross.
65th min: Neymar takes an outswinging corner from the right. It’s over the head of almost everyone, and it’s met by Marquinhos, deep in the penalty area. He’s not marked, but he heads over.
63rd min: Kevin Volland looks set to come on for Monaco. After the open start to the half, both teams have slowed things down a little. PSG are seeing more of the ball, while Monaco are spending more time defending in their own half, rather than pressing PSG. Volland is on for the impressive Gelson Martins.
58th min: Mbappé is played in behind on the left, but Monaco get bodies around him to block his shot. Pochettino has tweaked his teams approach, with the midfield playing more conservatively, while Hakimi and Mendes push up more. The increased presence in the wide areas is giving them an escape route from the Monaco press, and allowing Neymar and Mbappé to take up more dangerous positions, rather than having to drop deep to help their teammates play the ball up the pitch.
55th min: Neymar, who showed frustration at times in the first half, is booked for hacking at Fofana after being aggressively dispossessed by the Monaco midfielder. He was aggrieved not to get the free kick himself, but caught Fofana’s standing leg after losing the ball.
52nd min: The second half has more of an end to end feel to it, with PSG playing more aggressively, but leaving more space in behind. Hakimi shepherds a long ball to safety, it seemed to bounce off his hand. At the other end, Mbappé shows good footwork to get through on goal but, agonisingly, can’t convert the opportunity, with Nubel taking the sting out of the shot as the forward tried to get past him, and it being cleared off the line. Neymar tries to play him through quickly from a free kick. He goes down under pressure. He wants a penalty, he gets a booking.
48th min: PSG seem to have upped the tempo in the second half, but Monaco are still getting men around the ball in number whenever the Parisian side attack.
46th min: We’re back underway, and PSG start the half with the ball. Monaco have started the second half as they started the first, harassing and harrying their visitors with aggression.
Mauricio Pochettino endured a demoralizing 45 minutes as his side was comfortably outplayed by the home side. PSG began to get control of the game near the conclusion of the first half, although Monaco will consider themselves unlucky to only be ahead by one goal.
44th min: A PSG move sees Verratti try and curl the ball into the far corner in a crowded penalty area, but he’s nowhere near the target. PSG follow that up with a quick break, Hakimi drilling the ball towards the far post from wide. Nubel pushes it out into the centre of his penalty area, and it’s cleared for a corner. The corner is played directly to Paredes on the edge of the area, who doesn’t connect properly and loops his volleyed effort over.
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42nd min: It’s scrappy in midfield but Tchouameni managed to pick up the ball and prod it through to Fofana, who drives forward. He unleashes a shot from distance on his left, low to Donnarumma’s near post. The goalkeeper is down and holds onto the ball at the second attempt.
40th min: 40 minutes in and Mbappé hasn’t had a shot yet, which sums things up for Pochettino’s side.
38th min: PSG have a promising counter. Neymar, without any easy options, plays an outside of the boot pass that forces Hakimi wide. He fires the ball back into the path of the Brazilian on the edge of the area, but his pass it cut out. It seems like the danger is averted as the ball is played back to Nubel but the goalkeeper, who has had next to nothing to do, takes a loose first touch and the ball bobbles to his right, just wide of the post. That loose touch is the most dangerous moment the hosts have faced, but PSG’s dangerous duo are seeing a little more of the ball now.
35th min: Monaco have eased off just a little since going a goal up, but they’re still able to pounce on any loose touches from their visitors, who just haven’t been able to string anything together.
31st min: As the clock ticks over to half an hour, PSG show a sign of life. Neymar does well to dribble towards the Monaco penalty area, and he’s brought down by Gelson Martins, who picks up a booking. The free kick is within shooting range, in the left channel. Neymar hooks it just inside the near post, but there’s not enough pace on the ball and Nubel, at full stretch, palms it wide.
29th min: It was Monaco who played on Thursday, but it’s PSG who look like they’ve had the short turnaround ahead of this game. They’ve looked comfortably second best and way off the pace.
25th min: GOAL! Monaco! Just as I mention them not scoring, they go and do it! It’s been coming. Fofana has the ball wide on the right and fires the ball into the area. Ben Yedder found a good position on the blindside of Kimpembe and arrived at the near post, flicking the ball into the roof of the net, off the outside of his heel, from close range.
24th min: Both Neymar and Mbappé have dropped into their own defensive third to try and get on the ball in recent minutes. Both have given it away. Monaco, for all their threat, will be ruing the fact they’re not a goal up already. Mbappé makes a run in behind and it’s cleared for a corner. It’s worked short and PSG get their first shot of the day, with Neymar floating a shot towards goal that’s easy for Nubel.
22nd min: A long ball down the line finds Gelson Martins making a run in the right halfspace. He has the pace to get clear, and cuts the ball back to Jean Lucas on the edge of the area, but his shot is held by Donnarumma.
20th min: The home team are alternating between playing the ball up the pitch, and playing longer balls in behind the PSG backline, an approach that’s working quite well for them.
16th min: This time Monaco work it down the right well, combining to get past Mendes, and Marquinhos has to clear a dangerous ball fizzed across goal. With Neymar and Mbappé up front, PSG look like they could be dangerous if tey manage to get a counter right.
14th min: Golovin teases a delightful ball in from the left, which just evades Fofana. PSG are managing to get their foot on the ball, with Neymar and Mbappé combining.
12th min: Monaco should be a goal up. PSG try and play out once again, but fail to do so. Jean Lucas presses Paredes on the edge of his area, the ball rolls into Ben Yedder’s path but Jean Lucas takes it off his teammate and goes himself, one on one in the area after evading Kimpembe’s sliding challenge. It looks a certain goal, but it’s off target. Paredes did well to get a touch. PSG finally manage to get the ball into Monaco’s area, but nothing comes of it.
9th min: Tchouameni tries to curl a ball from outside the area, but he fails to get any curl on it, and it doesn’t trouble the goal. The visitors try and play out, they get out of their penalty area but not much further, with Monaco turning over the ball in PSG’s third. The visitors win another corner, this time from the opposite side, and Golovin’s flicked header is easily held by Donnarumma.
6th min: Monaco have started very well here, and PSG are being tested. The hosts work it down the left and fire a dangerous ball across goal, Mendes does well on the stretch to clear it, with Martins lurking behind him for a tap in. Donnarumma is forced into a save from the edge of the area, and Monaco have another corner.
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3rd min: It’s an inswinger from Henrique, but it’s headed clear. Mbappé tries to carry the ball, but he’s hauled down on the halfway line. Neither team is finding much team on the ball early on.
1st min: Kickoff! A scrappy start as both teams look to make their mark on the game. Verratti gives away a foul in the left back position, the first opportunity of the game.
7:59 a.m.: The teams are lining up and the captains shake hands. There’s some confusion, the players are looking to line up for kickoff but they’re asked to stand together with the officials, behind a banner denouncing racism and anti Semitism. With the photo taken, the teams prepare to get underway.
7:38 a.m.: The visitors are out and warming up. Pochettino may have a host of injury concerns, but he’s still able to name a very strong team. He’ll be hoping his side can put their recent wobbles behind them, while Monaco will be looking to bounce back their European elimination on Thursday with a strong performance at home to the capital club.
7:13 a.m.: The team news is in for the hosts.
7:10 a.m.: The visitors are in the building.
6:53 a.m.: It looks like a good day for football in the Principality. We should have team news shortly.
6:00 a.m.: All eyes will be locked on ex-AS Monaco man Kylian Mbappe, but current Monaco prospect Aurelien Tchouameni will also be a hot topic this summer with reports of several clubs including Liverpool, Real Madrid and PSG seeking to sign him.
Injury has kept AS Monaco manager Philippe Clement without veteran Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas and Krepin Diatta. Due to COVID-19, Vanderson will be unable to compete. Guillermo Maripan, a Chilean center back, has recovered from his knee injury but can barely make the bench.
AS Monaco starting lineup (4-5-1): Nubel (GK) — Henrique, Badiashile, Disasi, Aguilar — Martins, Tchouameni, Fofana, Lucas, Golovin — Ben Yedder
AS Monaco subs (9): Mannone (GK), Jakobs, Maripan, Matsima, Sidibe, Diop, Matazo, Boadu, Volland
Despite PSG’s numerous injury concerns, Pochettino has still been able to name a strong team. With Neymar and Mbappé up front, they should be able to threaten the Monegasque outfit.
PSG starting lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma (GK) — Mendes, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Hakimi — Verratti, Danilo, Paredes — Neymar, Mbappe, Wijnaldum
PSG subs (9): Letellier (GK), Diallo, Bitshiabu, Kehrer, Gueye, Ebimbe, Draxler, Simons, Icardi
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