Pogba back on the pitch as Monaco lose, PSG take top spot in Ligue 1 | OneFootball

Paul Pogba made his long-awaited return to competitive football in Monaco’s 4-1 defeat to Rennes this Saturday, while Paris Saint-Germain maintained their lead in Ligue 1 with a win over Le Havre.

Pogba, 32, came on as a substitute in the final minutes for Monaco in his first match in over two years, after his career was hampered by injuries, a doping suspension, and an extortion case in which he was a victim.

“Football isn’t over for me. We worked hard, waited more than two years to return, and today it finally happened. Thank God,” said Pogba.

The 2018 World Cup winner received a warm ovation from fans at Roazhon Park when he came on in the 85th minute and again after the final whistle.

“It was very emotional to see the fans stand up and applaud. Honestly, I didn’t expect that, so a huge thank you to all the fans who were there today and supported me,” said Pogba.

The former Manchester United midfielder failed a doping test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and was suspended for four years, a penalty that was later reduced to 18 months.

Even so, the Italian club terminated his contract last November, prematurely ending an unhappy second spell in Turin, marked by injuries and other issues. In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a €13 million ($15.3 million) extortion attempt against Pogba in 2022.

Photo: Lou BENOIST / AFP

But the chance to save his career came in the form of Monaco, who decided to take a chance on him as soon as he became available again after the end of his suspension in March.

Monaco was cautious in preparing Pogba for his return to competition, but coach Sebastien Pocognoli chose to put him on the field with the team trailing by four goals and down to ten men.

Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Mahdi Camara scored for Rennes before Denis Zakaria was sent off. Breel Embolo extended the lead and Ludovic Blas scored from the penalty spot, with Monaco pulling one back through Mika Biereth after Pogba came on.

“It’s great… Paul Pogba’s return, but I play for Monaco – that’s my team, and I hate losing. I’m relieved to be back playing football, the thing I love most in the world. But there’s still work to do to get back to peak form, play 90 minutes, and help the team as much as possible,” said Pogba.

PSG vs Le Havre

PSG comfortably beat Le Havre 3-0 at home, with goals from Lee Kang-in, João Neves, and Bradley Barcola.

Luis Enrique’s team regained the lead and a two-point advantage after temporarily falling behind Marseille and Lens, who both won 1-0 against Strasbourg earlier on Saturday.

Ismaelo Ganiou scored the winning goal for Lens midway through the second half before Valentin Barco of Strasbourg was sent off. Lens also finished with 10 men after Morgan Guilavogui was shown a red card in stoppage time.

Marseille thrashed Nice 5-1 on Friday, with Mason Greenwood scoring twice to become the league’s top scorer with 10 goals.

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