After three victories with five or more goals, the French champions let go of a little ballast, trapped by a very well organized Monaco team, which fared better than Lille, swept away 7-1 the previous weekend.
PSG retains the lead in the championship thanks to its already gargantuan goal difference (+14), but it was shaken, and Monaco, very fast on the counter, showed where this armada might sin.
Paris has long chased the goal of Kevin Volland (20th), conceded on a small excess of confidence, at the start, from Marco Verratti.
The Italian’s greedy heel for Lionel Messi was intercepted by Mohamed Camara and benefited the German striker, who went to beat Gianluigi Donnarumma following a support on Alexandre Golovin.
But Volland was injured in action, perhaps on receiving his shot, and had to leave, replaced by Maghnes Akliouche (25th).
Mbappé leaves the penalty to Neymar
PSG ended up equalizing by Neymar, on a penalty left to him by Kylian Mbappé, settling the “penaltygate” affair between the two stars.
The Brazilian had “conquered” this sanction himself, hit at the height of the thigh by the Chilean Guillermo Maripan, a fault that the referee Benoît Bastien only saw with the help of the video.
This time Christophe Galtier’s team won’t be all praise. His magic trio did not shine.
Neymar, warned for pushing Volland in the back (5th), was less inspired than in recent weeks, but he still consolidated his place as top scorer with a sixth goal, his second penalty.
Less successful, Kylian Mbappé made some bad choices, especially on the biggest opportunity of the first period, just before half-time, a double post: a strike from Messi repelled by the amount that the world champion sent clumsily on the other post, facing an open goal (45th).
“Kyky” also missed a match point on an action where he does not often fail, a solo counter at full speed (83rd).
Camera muzzle Messi
As for Leo Messi, he was pretty well muzzled by Mohamed Camara. The Malian, recruited this summer in the nursery of Red Bull Salzburg, worked very well with Youssouf Fofana. Monaco has a promising duo there.
ASM greatly hampered PSG on its quick counter-attacks, and had a 2-0 ball on a free kick from Caio Henrique (33rd).
After the frustration of elimination in the Champions League preliminaries, Monaco smiles once more and can believe in the future.
Akliouche, the youngster from the training center, with “Guendouzi” hair, replacing Volland, showed a lot of punch, before being relayed in turn by Takumi Minamino (64th). His coach explained to him at length, on the touchline, why he was taking him out despite his good 40 minutes.
Monaco has confirmed its predisposition to annoy the capital club, which it has beaten three times in the last six L1 matches, and once morest which it has obtained two draws.
Last season, PSG, the title almost in their pocket, had conceded a heavy 3-0 to Louis II, remained “across the throat” of Marquinhos.
The Brazilian captain then threatened: “If we continue like this, the title is in danger”.
This is not the case today following four days, but this setback will cool the enthusiasm a little.
