Despite mounting an impressive comeback to take the lead in the second half, AS Monaco ultimately fell to Paris Saint-Germain 2-4 at the Stade Louis II under the eyes of Prince Albert II and President Dmitry Rybolovlev.
The Match
In a match that saw first play second in the Ligue 1 table, Adi Hutter opted for his preferred 4-2-3-1 base formation, as he notably picked a strong back four consisting of Wilfried Singo, Thilo Kehrer, Mohammed Salisu and Vanderson to combat PSG’s dangerous attacking weapons.
Advertising
© AS Monaco
PSG raced out of the blocks, however, with Achraf Hakimi hitting the post and Bradley Barcola firing off an effort before Eliesse Ben Seghir had an attempt for the home team.
The first major incident of the match then occurred when PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced off with a facial injury following a collision with Singo.
Once the action got going again, it wasn’t long until Luis Enrique’s men took the lead through Desire Doue’s crisp finish.
Monaco came under further pressure towards the end of the first half, but thankfully Philipp Kohn was on hand to deny Hakimi and Doue.
© AS Monaco
The importance of those vital saves to keep ASM in the game came into sharp focus early in the second stanza when Ben Seghir got Monaco back on level terms from the penalty spot.
© AS Monaco
Having gained a huge boost of momentum, Les Rouge et Blanc duly pushed on to scorch into the lead when Maghnes Akliouche fed Breel Embolo, who applied his finish superbly on the hour-mark.
PSG responded rapidly to equalise courtesy of Ousmane Dembele, with him slotting home the rebound from Kohn’s stop after Fabian Ruiz’s strike.
With less than 30 minutes left, all was still to play for in the Principality. It would be PSG who struck next, though, shooting ahead after Goncalo Ramos powered home his header in the 83rd minute.
The final hammer blow arrived late in added time, for Dembele completed his brace to ruin any chances of ASM producing some heroics at the death.
© AS Monaco
Now 10 points back from PSG, this result serves a real blow to Monaco’s title hopes. But don’t expect Hutter’s team to go down without a fight, as they’ll be ready to come out swinging when Ligue 1 action resumes in 2025.
Hutter’s Debrief
“Everyone saw that it was a very intense match and a good Ligue 1 encounter. Both teams tried to play forward and play good football. In the first half, PSG were better than us, but in the second half, I found us very good and brave. We managed to change the course of the match by taking the lead at 2-1,” insisted the Austrian tactician.
© AS Monaco
“Unfortunately, Dembele’s equaliser came too quickly, and we should have defended better on the corner that led to the goal. I then took risks by bringing on an extra attacker for a defender, and we had opportunities to equalise. We are obviously not happy with this defeat, but I cannot blame my players who tried to put in a good performance.
“I don’t know if Ligue 1 is over. We have to congratulate Paris for their victory, but I’m focusing on Monaco. We are now 10 points behind them, but we have our own objectives, which are to stay on the podium to qualify for the Champions League. On Sunday, there is also the start of the Coupe de France, where we will present ourselves with ambition.’
Key Stats
By the numbers, the fact ASM held the ascendancy in terms of expected goals (1.98 to 1.76), shots inside the box (11 to 10), big chances created (5 to 4), touches inside the box (32 to 30), successful dribbles (15 to 9), tackles won (24 to 10) and overall duels won (60 to 44) illustrated what a force they were to be reckoned with even though the outcome wasn’t in their favour.
© AS Monaco
Coupe de France Awaits
Up next for AS Monaco is a Coupe de France clash with Union Saint-Jean this weekend, where they’ll be looking to close out their year on a high note with a victory ahead of what will be captivating 2025.