Monaco stun PSG at the Parc des Princes to revive Ligue 1 title race
Ten days after being eliminated by PSG in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, Monaco delivered a perfect response in the league thanks to goals from Maghnes Akliouche, Aleksandr Golovin and Folarin Balogun, with Bradley Barcola briefly giving Paris hope in the second half.
Monaco strike first after Zaïre-Emery error
PSG began brightly and created the first chances through Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, but Monaco’s aggressive pressing gradually unsettled the hosts.
The breakthrough came in the 27th minute. A misplaced ball from Warren Zaïre-Emery inside his own area allowed Monaco to pounce, and after Balogun cleverly left the ball, Akliouche arrived to fire past Matvey Safonov and put the visitors ahead. Paris dominated possession before the break but struggled to create clear opportunities against a disciplined Monaco defensive block.
Golovin doubles Monaco’s advantage
Luis Enrique attempted to change the momentum just after the hour mark, introducing Ousmane Dembélé, Lee Kang-in and Senny Mayulu. But Monaco struck again first. Moments after coming on, Golovin reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box in the 55th minute, finishing clinically to double the visitors’ lead.
PSG finally found a response in the 71st minute. Cutting inside from the left, Barcola drove a low shot towards the near post, the effort taking a slight deflection and beating Philipp Köhn to reduce the deficit.
However, Monaco restored their two-goal advantage almost immediately.
Just two minutes later, Akliouche’s pressing forced another turnover, and Balogun struck instantly from the edge of the area. A deflection off Nuno Mendes wrong-footed Safonov and made it 3–1.
Paris pushed in the closing stages, with Köhn producing a double save from Dembélé and Gonçalo Ramos, while Adingra struck the bar late on for Monaco.
Despite late pressure, the visitors remained composed to secure an impressive victory in the capital.
What it means
PSG remain top of Ligue 1, but their lead could shrink dramatically. RC Lens, who face FC Metz on Sunday, can move to within one point of the champions.
For Monaco, the win represents a third consecutive league victory and lifts them provisionally into fifth place, strengthening their push for European qualification.
THE STAT:
This is the second time Monaco have beaten Paris SG under QSI era in both legs of a Ligue 1 fixture, after 2020–21. Only Nancy in 2011-12 and Rennes in 2022-23 have also achieved this feat during this period (since 2011-12).
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