The Parisians beaten in Monaco
Paris Saint-Germain were beaten by AS Monaco, this Sunday in matchday 29 of Ligue 1 (3-0). Here's how it happened.
A week after their victory against Bordeaux, the club from the capital travelled to Monaco for their last league match before the international break. Facing a tough side and in search of points, Mauricio Pochettino knew that the task would not be easy. With Di Maria and Messi out of the side, Pochettino lined up with Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappé up front alongside Gini Wijnaldum.
It was not going to be a walk in the park under the sun at the Stade Louis-II. From the outset, the Monegasques tried to push the Parisians back, but were denied in the air by Kimpembe, Marquinhos and Mendes, who cleared the first dangerous cross (6’) before Donnarumma made his first save! Monaco even came close to opening the scoring, only to be saved by a huge miss from Jean Lucas (10').
They were under pressure and struggled to get any breathing space. And while there were occasional flashes of brilliance from a lively Marco Verratti, it was at the back that things got more dangerous. After eight shots without conceding a single chance, the players from the Principality finally found the opening through a Ben Yedder shot (1-0, 25').
The Parisians were under pressure from all sides and tried to get back on track in the second half. After the break, Mauricio Pochettino's men began to create openings, as shown by Mbappé's attempt denied by Badiashile (51'). But it was Monaco who made the most of the space available in behind their opponents, when Volland scored the second goal from a counter attack (2-0, 68').
It was a difficult end to the game, especially after Presnel Kimpembe conceded a penalty, which Wissam Ben Yedder finally converted (3-0, 84'). It was a sign of an afternoon to forget, where nothing went right for the Parisians. That's how the game ended as the Parisians lost without ever managing to get the better of their Monegasque counterparts.
With a 15-point lead over their nearest rivals, the club from the capital will have to put this defeat behind them quickly to try and maintain their lead after the international break, when they play Lorient at the Parc des Princes, where they remain unbeaten in the league.