PLAYER RATINGS | PSG 2-2 Monaco [agg. 5-4]: Reigning champions advance after red card for visitors | OneFootball

For the second year running, Paris Saint-Germain knocked out a fellow Ligue 1 side to advance to the Champions League Round of 16. On Wednesday night, Monaco managed to level the play-off tie late in the first hal, before a red card on the hour mark allowed the hosts to pull clear.

The match

Although they managed to overcome a two-goal deficit in the first leg in the Principality, Paris Saint-Germain were still not in the clear as a reinvigorated Monaco arrived in Paris on Wednesday night “We’re not looking to defend a result, we’re looking to win a match,” Luis Enrique insisted in his pre-match press conference.

The Asturian was right to be cautious, with the first chance of the match falling to Monaco’s Mamadou Coulibaly. The 21-year-old, presented with an open goal after the returning Maghnes Akliouche had left Safonov beaaten, would send his shot over the bar, though.

Désiré Doué, who was leading the line in the injury-induced absence of Ousmane Dembélé, carved out a few opportunities but was unable to find the target nor provide an accurate cross for his teammates. It was Bradley Barcola who would come closest for the reigning champions in the first half, with the winger’s close-range effort minutes before the break thundering off the bar. 

Coulibaly would have the chance to atone for his early miss at the end of the first half, as he set up Maghnes Akliouche for Monaco’s opener, building on some good work by Caio Henrique down the left. A well-placed shot into the bottom left corner was enough for the French international to beat Safonov and level the tie.

The turning point of the match would come on the hour mark, as Coulibaly was sent off after picking up a second yellow card in the space of three minutes. PSG would retake the lead seconds later, as Marquinhos slotted into an empty net after Désiré Doué’s cross had beaten Köhn.

The hosts doubled their overall lead soon afterwards, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was on hand to put away the follow up to a shot from outside the box from Achraf Hakimi. There would nevertheless be a late scare for PSG, wth Jordan Teze halving the deficit in stoppage-time. Monaco then had a chance to equalise from a free-kick just outside the box, but neither Wout Faes nor Thilo Kehrer were able to direct the cross towards Safonov’s goal.

It will have been a decidedly tougher play-off tie than last year’s double-header against Brest, but Les Parisiens remain in the race to defend their title. With PSG struggling to find a way through in the first hour, though, it’s clear that the team is still some way off last year’s form (and fitness levels).

Paris Saint-Germain player ratings

Matvey Safonov, 5

Achraf Hakimi, 6

Marquinhos, 6

Willian Pacho, 6

Nuno Mendes, 6

Warren Zaïre-Emery, 5

Vitinha, 5

João Neves, 6

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, 7 – The Georgian was the most involved and incisive of the PSG forwards, and was eventually rewarded for his efforts by scoring what would turn out to be the tie-winning goal.

Désiré Doué, 7 – The 20-year-old continued his impressive run of form with an all-encompassing performance as the makeshift centre-forward, notably setting up Marquinhos’ goal. He led the line well, although link-up play with his fellow forwards could have been more accurate.

Bradley Barcola, 5

Selected Monaco player ratings

Philipp Köhn, 5

Maghnes Akliouche, 6 – On his return to the starting eleven, the French international opened his account for the Champions League season to reignite Monaco’s hopes of qualifying. He would have had an assist to his name within the opening minutes, were it not for Coulibaly’s improbable miss.

Mamadou Coulibaly, 3 – The 21-year-old was the driving force behind several Monaco attacks, but a glaring miss at the start and two yellow cards in quick succession on the hour mark were hammer blows to his team’s chances of qualifying.

Folarin Balogun, 5

GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin – reporting from the Parc des Princes