PSG 1-3 Monaco: A huge win for the guest as Akliouche & Balogun shine

Game is over and the final score is PSG 1-3 Monaco. Here is the match report.

Match Report

Paris Saint-Germain left the door open for Lens to close the gap at the top of Ligue 1 with an underwhelming 3-1 defeat to Monaco at the Parc des Princes.

Maghnes Akliouche and Aleksandr Golovin had the hosts two up and, although Bradley Barcola reduced the deficit, Folarin Balogun made sure of Monaco's win in what was the 100th meeting between the two in Ligue 1.

Denis Zakaria wastefully put a header wide and Akliouche curled one past the left post as Monaco had a couple of early testers, before Nuno Mendes dragged wide for PSG.

The visitors took the lead in the 27th minute when Zakaria dispossessed Warren Zaire-Emery in the penalty area and Balogun laid off for Akliouche to finish from close range off the right post.

Monaco stunned PSG again in the 55th minute when Golovin found the bottom-right corner from 18 yards, and he nearly made it 3-0 with an arrowed effort towards the top-right corner that Matvei Safonov did brilliantly to tip wide.

Barcola arrowed a volley wide shortly before dragging PSG back into the game when his cushioned effort deflected home via Jordan Teze, but Balogun's long-range effort clipped off Mendes to restore Monaco's cushion just two minutes later, with PSG now just four points above Lens having played a game more.

Data Debrief: Balogun and Akliouche celebrate 100 not out in style

Balogun made his 100th Ligue 1 appearance in this game (37 with Reims, 63 with Monaco). 

Since 2022-23, Balogun is the second-highest top-flight scorer in Ligue 1 (38 goals), behind Amine Gouiri (40 goals), though he contributed to just 0.02 of Monaco's 1.34 expected goals against PSG, who produced 1.09 xG.

Coincidentally, Akliouche – who had missed the last two games with injury – also racked up a century of appearances in the competition, to also celebrate the landmark with a goal.

Barcola may have ended up on the losing side, but he has now scored in three consecutive top-flight games for just the second time.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

5' Match Event for PSG vs Monaco

17' Match Event for PSG vs Monaco

22' Highlight from PSG vs Monaco

26' Highlight from PSG vs Monaco

27' GOAL! PSG 0-1 Monaco (Maghnes Akliouche)

39' Highlight from PSG vs Monaco

54' GOAL! PSG 0-2 Monaco (Aleksandr Golovin)

58' Highlight from PSG vs Monaco

60' Match Event for PSG vs Monaco

66' Match Event for PSG vs Monaco

69' Highlight from PSG vs Monaco

71' Match Event for PSG vs Monaco

74' GOAL! PSG 1-3 Monaco (Folarin Balogun)

87' Match Event for PSG vs Monaco

Line-ups

PSG XI: Hakimi, Safonov, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Ilya Zabarnyi, Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Barcola, Zaire-Emery, Doue, Dro Fernández

Subs: Marquinhos, Lucas, Dembele, Kang-in Lee, Gonçalo Ramos, Lucas Chevalier, Beraldo, Mayulu, Mbaye

Monaco XI: Kehrer, Wout Faes, Zakaria, Caio Henrique, Philipp Köhn, Balogun, Vanderson, Maghnes Akliouche, Mamadou Coulibaly, Lamine Camara, Aladji Bamba

Subs: Golovin, Jordan Teze, Fati, Mika Biereth, Simon Adingra, Yann Lienard, Christian Mawissa, Paris Brunner, Samuel Nibombe