PSG Player Ratings vs AS Monaco: 6 or lower the norm as hosts come up short

A Neymar penalty spared PSG’s blushes as AS Monaco brought the Parisien juggernaut to a halt on Sunday.

Christophe Galtier and Paris Saint-Germain were given a  rude wake-up call on Sunday night as a buoyant AS Monaco side brought them back to earth at Parc des Princes.

The defending champions looked lacklustre and slightly even overconfident given their recent run of results. Their sloppiness in possession saw Kevin Volland silence the home fans with a breakaway goal in the 20th minute.

PSG struggled to hit back immediately and were largely passive in possession. Lionel Messi struck the bar at the stroke of half-time and Kylian Mbappe failed to score from the rebound with the goal gaping. Marquinhos nearly put Monaco 2-0 up before Neymar won a penalty.

The Brazilian made no mistake from the spot and drew PSG level. Achraf Hakimi and Mbappe had excellent chances to win the game late on but failed to show composure when needed.

The draw still leaves PSG top but puts a dent into their aura of invincibility. It is not what Galtier would have liked to happen ahead of the UEFA Champions League group stage fixtures. Monaco, however, keep their good run against the champions going and have in recent seasons emerged as their bogey side. The Hard Tackle looks at how the PSG players fared on the night.

Gianluigi Donnarumma: 5/10

The Italian international made a secure save from a Monaco free-kick in the opening exchanges but was shaky otherwise. He nearly conceded an own goal off Marquinhos and was again almost caught out while trying to play out from the back. Donnarumma did not exude confidence and that uncertainty radiated to his defence.

Serio Ramos: 6/10

The veteran had an excellent chance to draw his side level in the first half but chose to go for the jugular with a bicycle kick. Ramos was otherwise decent and held his own against a Monaco side that took the game to their opponents.

Marquinhos: 5/10

The Brazilian was far from his best on the night and failed to inspire confidence at the heart of the defence. He failed to judge Monaco’s opener and nearly put past his own goalkeeper in the second half. Marquinhos never really got into his groove and was taken off for Nordi Mukiele in the 86th minute.

Presnel Kimpembe: 5/10

The Frenchman was easily outmuscled by Kevin Volland for Monaco’s opener and looked vulnerable when taken head-on. Kimpembe passed the ball out well and held the flank whenever Nuno Mendes bombed forward.

Achraf Hakimi: 6/10

The right-back was a constant menace going forwards on the flank and was ready for a pass or overlap when needed. Hakimi got into a scuffle with Caio Henrique in the dying minutes, landing himself a yellow card in the process. He also had a late chance to win the game but struck the woodwork having beaten Alexander Nubel in goal.

Marco Verratti: 6/10

The Italian international did his best to control the tempo of the game from midfield but struggled in the absence of Vitinha beside him. Verratti broke down several Monaco attacks on his own and was excellent in winning the ball back and playing it forward. Verratti was also booked in the final minutes of the game.

Renato Sanches: 6/10

The Portuguese international made his full debut for PSG on the night but failed to leave a mark against his Monaco counterparts. With Vitinha suspended, this was Sanches’s chance to make a case for himself, but he failed to take the opportunity with both hands. It was a quiet night for the 25-year-old who was taken off for Danilo Pereira in the 63rd minute.

Nuno Mendes: 5/10

The youngster lacked his usual impetus in attack and failed to get going while moving up the flank. He did make up for it by being solid defensively and winning back the ball on several occasions. 

Lionel Messi: 5/10

It was the Argentine’s poorest outing thus far this season, and he looked off the pace. Messi was quiet for the majority of the first half and lost the ball in the build-up to Monaco’s opener. Messi burst into life at the stroke of half-time and nearly drew his side level but could only find the goalpost. He dropped deep to make things happen but enjoyed little luck.

Neymar: 6/10

The Brazilian earned himself an early warning after childishly bringing down Kevin Volland. Neymar was, however, arguably PSG’s most potent attacker on the night and tried to get his side back in the game. He won a rather theatrical penalty before dispatching it himself to draw PSG level.

Kylian Mbappe: 5/10

The Frenchman came into the game after a well-taken hat-trick against Lille but did not have his shooting boots on. Mbappe failed to hit the back of the empty net from Messi’s rebound and was similarly wasteful when put through on goal. Had he been more clinical, PSG could have come away with all three points.

SUBSTITUTES

Danilo Pereira: 6/10

Danilo replaced Sanches in the second half and was a slight improvement. Pereira, however, did not make a difference on the night.

Pablo Sarabia: N/A

Sarabia replaced Messi late on and did not have enough time to make an impact.

Nordi Mukiele: N/A

A late replacement for Marquinhos as PSG sought to secure a win.