In a thrilling first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain orchestrated a remarkable turnaround against a 10-man Monaco side, largely thanks to the heroics of substitute Desire Doue.
Manager Luis Enrique initially kept the young Frenchman on the bench at the Stade Louis II. However, with PSG surprisingly trailing by two goals, Doue was brought into the fray midway through the first half, replacing the esteemed Ousmane Dembele. The 20-year-old forward proved to be an absolute game-changer, scoring two goals himself and playing a pivotal role in Achraf Hakimi’s equalizer, sealing a crucial victory for PSG in this historic first European encounter between the two French clubs.
The home side, Monaco – who had previously defeated Luis Enrique’s team at the same venue in a Ligue 1 match back in November – exploded out of the gates, taking the lead within the first minute. Folarin Balogun met Aleksandr Golovin’s cross with a powerful header from close range, giving them the early advantage. Monaco, noted as the lowest-scoring team among the remaining 24 in the competition, further compounded PSG’s problems in the 18th minute when Balogun expertly raced through on goal and calmly slotted the ball past Matvey Safonov, marking his tenth goal of the season.
PSG seemed to catch a break four minutes later, being awarded a penalty after Wout Faes fouled Khvicha Kvaratskhelia inside the box. Yet, midfielder Vitinha, who had also missed a spot-kick against Newcastle United last month, was once again denied. Monaco’s goalkeeper Phillip Kohn dove to his right to make an excellent save, keeping PSG off the scoreboard.
However, the tide began to turn in the 29th minute. Just two minutes after his introduction, Doue, stepping in for the Ballon d’Or winner Dembele, unleashed a shot from a tight angle that deflected in off the post, finally getting PSG on the board. He then played a significant part in the equalizer just four minutes before halftime. Doue’s shot from outside the area was parried by the goalkeeper directly into the path of Hakimi, who finished with a half-volley to score his first Champions League goal of the current season.
The second half began with more drama as Monaco’s Golovin received a red card for the second time in four days. A reckless challenge on Vitinha initially earned him a yellow, but after the referee reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor, the card was upgraded, leaving Monaco with only ten men.
Capitalizing on their numerical advantage, the visitors completed their comeback in the 67th minute. Warren Zaire-Emery set up Doue, who struck the ball past Kohn, securing his second goal of the match. This achievement made him the first PSG substitute since October 2019 to score two or more goals in a Champions League fixture.
The highly anticipated return leg is scheduled to take place in Paris on Wednesday, February 25th in Paris.
By: Andrews Addotey
