Paris Saint-Germain overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat AS Monaco 3-2 in their UEFA Champions League playoff first leg. The match occurred at Stade Louis II on February 17, 2026. PSG’s comeback highlighted their resilience against Ligue 1 rivals. Meanwhile Monaco played with 10 men after a second-half red card.
Monaco Strikes Early
Folarin Balogun opened the scoring for Monaco after 55 seconds. He headed in a cross from Aleksandr Golovin. Then, Balogun doubled the lead in the 18th minute. He finished a through ball from Maghnes Akliouche past Matvei Safonov, the PSG goalkeeper.
PSG Misses Opportunity
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia earned a penalty for PSG in the 17th minute. Wout Faes fouled him in the box. However Vitinha failed to convert the spot kick. Philipp Köhn, the Monaco goalkeeper, saved the effort.
Injury Forces Change
Ousmane Dembélé suffered an injury around the 27th minute. Désiré Doué replaced him as a substitute. This change proved pivotal. Doué scored PSG’s first goal in the 29th minute. He controlled a pass from Bradley Barcola and fired into the far corner.
Equalizer Before Halftime
Doué continued his impact four minutes before the break. He unleashed a shot that Köhn parried. Achraf Hakimi followed up and slotted home the equalizer. Thus PSG leveled the score at 2-2 heading into halftime.
Red Card Alters Dynamics
Aleksandr Golovin received a red card three minutes into the second half. A VAR review confirmed his studs up challenge on Vitinha. Meanwhile, Monaco defended with 10 players for the remainder.
Doué Seals Victory
PSG capitalized on the advantage in the 67th minute. Warren Zaïre-Emery laid off the ball to Doué. The substitute scored his second goal with a clinical finish. PSG held on despite Monaco’s late pressure, including a shot from Denis Zakaria that went wide.
Luis Enrique, the PSG coach, expressed pre-match confidence. “PSG are very motivated for Champions League game vs. Monaco,” Enrique stated. The result positioned PSG favorably for the return leg at Parc des Princes.
