MONACO 3-0 PSG; PSG SUFFERS ANOTHER THIRD AWAY DEFEAT IN A ROLL, AS MONACO LASH THE LEADERS HEAVILY AT HOME.
Paris Saint-Germain slumped to a third consecutive away defeat in Ligue 1, as Monaco stunned Mauricio Pochettino’s men with a 3-0 victory at the Stade Louis II.
PSG started the match sluggish, slow, and timid, with mistakes made across the pitch, though they were perhaps surprised by Monaco’s electric start. From the off, the hosts pressed to leave the runaway leaders’ attempts to play out from the back met with an incredible resistance from those in red and white. Philippe Clement’s brave tactics saw the Monaco chances start to come in abundance. First, Youssouf Fofana struck an early warning from the edge of the area, before Jean Lucas wasted two chances to put his side ahead, the best of which saw the Brazilian nip in front of teammate Wissam Ben Yedder, but somehow, with the goal at his mercy, he fired wide.
PSG didn’t learn their lesson, and eventually the early Monaco dominance brought a reward when Ben Yedder met Youssouf Fofana’s delicious cross with a delightful flicked finish for his 16th goal of the season on 25 minutes. Fofana then forced another save from Gianluigi Donnarumma, with PSG restricted to two long range efforts from Neymar, and a low strike from Achraf Hakimi, which forced Alexander Nubel’s only work in a half he was largely a spectator.
The visitors, who were without Lionel Messi due to illness, saw Kylian Mbappé denied an equaliser by Nubel, before he later picked up a booking alongside a frustrated Neymar. After the break, Kevin Volland hit Monaco’s second when he was left unmarked to tap home Ruben Aguilar’s cross from close range. Hakimi and Mauro Icardi did go close late on, but the game was put out of the leaders’ reach after Presnel Kimpembe gave away a penalty. Ben Yedder stepped up to convert from 12 yards on 84 minutes, with the current Ligue 1 top-scorer leaving Pochettino’s men with one win in their last seven games away from home.
PSG’s third defeat in their last seven matches could cut their 15 point lead over second-placed Marseille, who now have a game in hand on the leaders. Whilst an unlikely victory ends a wretched run of form for Clement’s men, who move to seventh in Ligue 1.
