This Friday, September 4, Paris Saint-Germain (11th) face Monaco (1st) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9:05 PM, CET) in Matchday 3 of the 2026-2027 Ligue 1 season. As before every match, here is a look at the Parisians’ opponents.
Monaco’s situation –
For a time in the 2010s, Monaco’s project seemed to mirror PSG’s; however, the club later shifted toward selling players for profit rather than striving to build the best possible squad. This led to significant annual turnover and some challenging periods.
Hopes for stability arose with the arrival of coach Adi Hütter in July 2023 and a well-planned transfer window, but a crisis returned by the end of the summer of 2025 as results fell short of expectations. The German coach was replaced in October by Sébastien Pocognoli (who had made a name for himself at Union Saint-Gilloise). Pocognoli is already gone, however, with Filipe Luis having signed from Flamengo this summer.
Once again, the hope at ASM is that “this time, it’s the real deal.” The transfer window was relatively measured, which could well aid in building a solid foundation. The start has been very encouraging—two wins without conceding a goal—though they must now prove they can sustain this form.
The 2026 summer transfer window –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key statistics –
This season, Monaco boasts one of the top four attacks in Ligue 1 with 3 goals scored (leaders Lens have 6, while bottom-placed Nice have 0). They also share the league’s best defensive record with Paris FC, as both teams have conceded zero goals (bottom-placed Auxerre have conceded 8).
Monaco’s top scorer is Paris Brunner (20-year-old forward); with 2 goals, he ranks 6th in the league (the Ligue 1 leader is Louis Mafouta with 3 goals). Aleksandr Golovin (30-year-old attacking midfielder) is the Monaco club’s top assist provider with one assist, ranking 21st in Ligue 1 (Adrien Thomasson is first with two assists).
Monaco’s last 5 matches –
Only Monaco’s possession is shown, and Monaco’s shots are listed first (where data is available).
14/08/2026 (Friendly) – Coventry City vs. Monaco: 2-0. Formation: 4-4-2.
20/08/2026 (Europa Conference League) – Górnik Zabrze vs. Monaco: 2-3. Formation: 4-4-2. 13 shots vs. 17 shots.
23/08/2026 (Ligue 1) – Le Havre vs. Monaco: 0-1. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 50% possession. 15 shots (7 on target) vs. 14 shots (4 on target).
27/08/2026 (Europa Conference League) – Monaco vs. Górnik Zabrze: 4-1. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 13 shots vs. 6.
30/08/2026 (Ligue 1) – Monaco vs. OM: 2-0. Formation: 4-2-3-1. 36% possession. 11 shots (5 on target) vs. 13 shots (2 on target).
The squad:
Out – Balogun, Diop, Fati, Salisu (injuries).
Probable team (4-2-3-1):
Brunner
Idumbo – Golovin – Coulibaly
Camara – Zakaria
Nazinho – Dier – Sané – Vanderson
Hradecky
Monaco’s playing style.
After a succession of highly attack-minded coaches, ASM has opted for a more solid approach under Filipe Luis. While he certainly hasn’t abandoned attacking football—let’s not exaggerate—the defensive line sits a little deeper. That said, the defense remains particularly aggressive. The aim isn’t to dominate possession—as was clearly evident in their two Ligue 1 matches—but rather to remain solid and strike quickly upon winning the ball back. Marseille can attest to that.
PSG has been put on notice: they will need to handle defensive transitions better than they did against Rennes and Lille—matches that played out in a similar fashion. They will also need greater pace and precision to unlock the Monaco defense.
