On Tuesday evening, Paris Saint-Germain defeated AS Monaco 3-2 in the first leg of their 2025-2026 Champions League playoff (second leg on Wednesday, February 25) at the Stade Louis II. Here are the highs and lows of this victory.
Highs –
❤️ Désiré Doué.
The 20-year-old midfielder/forward has been heavily criticized lately. There was some truth to it; he made things difficult for himself. But there was also some exaggeration. In any case, tonight he rediscovered his effectiveness and precision. A good reminder that he belongs at the highest level. More importantly, Doué helped PSG turn the game around.
The reaction to overcome adversity.
Criticism, injuries, Lens keeping pace in Ligue 1, a 2-0 defeat last Friday for Monaco – there were all the ingredients for a very bad night on Tuesday. But Luis Enrique’s PSG once again showed character and confidence. All this while maintaining a certain quality of play. We shouldn’t forget that they’re great simply because Paris is consistently strong.
Hakimi scored.
Achraf Hakimi (27-year-old right-back) isn’t yet back to his best, but he showed some promising signs in this match. And he scored a goal, which can always do wonders for morale. It could be the turning point to help put the disappointment of the lost AFCON final behind him.
Flops –
😡 Another injury for Dembélé.
It’s becoming a bad habit to see Ousmane Dembélé (the 28-year-old forward) injured this season. This unfortunate run of bad luck is slowing him down and is inevitably a problem for the team. There was some initial speculation about a possible knock, but coach Luis Enrique explained that he had been able to train normally and that he took a knock early in the match. We are now awaiting the results of the tests to determine the length of his absence.
The goals conceded.
PSG reacted well, but they were also at fault for both goals conceded. The first, in particular, was disastrous, with the loss of possession and subsequent failure to react. The Parisians hadn’t fully entered the game. Beware, lapses in concentration could prove costly.
