PSG v Monaco: Ex-Benfica star key for Champions League progress | OneFootball

This Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain faced a true test of nerves in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 play-off against Monaco. The match, which promised excitement from start to finish, began alarmingly for the home team, who once again found themselves in trouble in the opening minutes, just as in the first leg of the tie. The former Benfica player – who is 'gaining more controversy' – João Neves, started for the Parisian side.

The Paris team seemed unable to impose their style, and even with a shot from Bradley Barcola that hit the crossbar (0-0, 41′), it was Monaco who, logically, opened the scoring before halftime. Caio Henrique delivered a perfect cross to Coulibaly, who cleverly let the ball pass to Maghnes Akliouche. The French international did not hesitate and, with a well-placed left-footed shot, made it 0-1 at the 45th minute.

In the second half, hope for an equalizer arose for PSG when João Neves, after a free kick from Vitinha, saw his header deflected for a corner by Philipp Köhn (0-1, 50′). However, the fortunes of the Paris team changed drastically in the 58th minute, when Coulibaly was sent off with two yellow cards in just three minutes, leaving Monaco down to 10 men.

From that moment on, PSG took advantage of the numerical superiority. In a move that made the Parc des Princes erupt, Désiré Doué crossed to Marquinhos, who, with a precise shot, leveled the match at 60 minutes (1-1), scoring his second goal in the competition this season. With renewed momentum, PSG continued to press and, in the 66th minute, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put his team ahead, capitalizing on a shot from Achraf Hakimi that was deflected by Köhn (2-1).

However, the drama was not over yet. Jordan Teze, from Monaco, did the unthinkable by equalizing the game in the dying moments, scoring in the 90+1st minute (2-2). Despite the draw, PSG breathed a sigh of relief, as Coulibaly's red card was decisive for the turnaround. The team led by Luis Enrique, despite the draw, won the tie (5-4).

The draw for the next stage of the competition is scheduled for Friday, February 27, when it will be revealed whether the European champions will face Barcelona or Chelsea. Although PSG is not displaying the same dominance as last season, the team continues to fight hard in both the Champions League and Ligue 1, remaining firm in their pursuit of more trophies.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.