Sebastien Pocognoli and AS Monaco faced the mammoth task of usurping PSG on Wednesday after they showed their undeniable quality with their first-leg comeback.
PSG were in a bit of a dip around this time last season, and it was during this period that they began to bounce back and win the trophies they did; history may repeat itself if Les Parisiens overcome the AS Monaco test this week.
Luis Enrique’s side found themselves in a similar position heading to AS Monaco last week, on the back of a league defeat to Stade Rennais. At the Stade Louis II, they were two goals down owing to a Folarin Balogun brace, and saw Ousmane Dembele suffer an injury with only 25 minutes on the clock.
Desire Doue, who came on in place of Dembele, made an immediate impact by scoring with his first few touches of the ball. Achraf Hakimi then equalised after Vitinha had missed a penalty to bring parity to the game. However, a sending-off for Aleksandr Golovin turned the tide in PSG’s favour, as Doue grabbed his second in the second half to secure a victory for the visitors.
At the weekend, Les Parisiens resumed normal service with a comfortable win over Metz, and now they must defend their slender lead in the play-off second leg. AS Monaco do not have a good recent record at Parc des Princes, losing on each of their last three visits here, meaning a tough clash awaits them against PSG.
Sebastien Pocognoli will have rued his side’s performance after going 2-0 up in the first leg, as everything else after that resembled them shooting themselves in the foot. Moreover, Monaco did PSG a huge favour at the weekend as they went away to league leaders RC Lens to secure a win, allowing the Parisians to reclaim top spot.
With that, they will know that PSG will be buoyed by their position in Ligue 1, which, in turn, could galvanise them for the second leg. Paper talk aside, the principality outfit must produce a monumental performance against the odds to secure a berth in the round of 16, and a big test awaits them at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.
Team News & Tactics
PSG
PSG’s injury issues have not changed since the weekend or last week, as Ousmane Dembele is expected to sit this one out owing to the problem he suffered in the first leg against AS Monaco. Fabian Ruiz is out too, while Senny Mayulu and Quentin Ndjantou are absent for this home game.
Luis Enrique rang the changes at the weekend, and he will revert to his strongest lineup for this second leg to secure a place in the next round. Matvey Safonov, who has played in each of PSG’s last six games, seems to be the preferred choice between the sticks for Enrique, and he could continue there.
Enrique is expected to retain only Hakimi from his backline at the weekend, as Marquinhos, Willian Pacho and Nuno Mendes are all expected to return. Similarly, in midfield, Warren Zaire-Emery might be the only one to be retained, as Vitinha and Joao Neves will join him there for the AS Monaco clash.
With Dembele absent, Enrique might once again change his front three, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could come in for Bradley Barcola. Desire Doue and Goncalo Ramos are expected to keep their places in the frontline for this second leg.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Sofanov; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Pacho, Mendes; Zaire-Emery, Vitinha, Neves; Doue, Ramos, Kvaratskhelia
AS Monaco
Sebastien Pocognoli has a long list of injured players out of contention for this crucial second leg, with fresh changes expected from last week’s first leg. Maghnes Akliouche has a hip problem that will keep him out, while Aleksandr Golovin remains suspended for this clash.
Kassoum Ouattara has a calf issue, while Krepin Diatta has a knock, with the duo expected to be ruled out. Adding those names to the likes of Paul Pogba, Mohammed Salisu, Takumi Minamino, and Lukas Hradecky, AS Monaco have major absentees against PSG.
Three names that will have a place in the lineup are Ansu Fati, Denis Zakaria and Folarin Balogun, while Simon Adingra might come into the attacking setup. Pocognoli might still have a decent set of players to choose from, but he may have to tinker to get the best solution to his problems.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kohn; Vanderson, Teze, Kehrer, Henrique; Camara, Zakaria; Coulibaly, Fati, Adingra; Balogun
Key Stats
- PSG have won each of their last three games against AS Monaco on home soil. Les Parisiens have not lost a knockout game against Monaco in this century.
- AS Monaco have not won a game at Parc des Princes since March 2016.
- AS Monaco have only won one of their last five competitive fixtures away from home.
- PSG have won all three of their UEFA Champions League matches against fellow French sides, scoring 13 goals in these wins (3-0 and 7-0 vs Brest in February 2025, 3-2 vs AS Monaco in the first leg). They are the only side in Champions League history with a 100% win ratio against sides from the same nation as themselves.
- Folarin Balogun has netted five goals in his last six UEFA Champions League appearances, while his five goals this season are the most by an AS Monaco player since 2016/17, when Radamel Falcao got five and Kylian Mbappe scored six. He also has four goals in his last five games in all competitions against PSG.
Player to Watch
Desire Doue
Scorer of a brace in the first leg before then following it up with another strike at the weekend, Doue is the form player in this PSG side. Luis Enrique will look to the young attacker for inspiration when his talisman, Ousmane Dembele, is missing from action.
The young Frenchman has scored six goals in his last six UEFA Champions League appearances, all in braces in games against Inter Milan (2025 final), Bayer Leverkusen (October 2025), and in the first leg against AS Monaco.
Doue’s next goal will be his tenth in the competition, and he will be aged 20 years and 267 days for this game. The current youngest PSG player to 10 major European goals is Kylian Mbappe (20y 306d).
Doue has the mettle to deliver another top-notch performance and galvanise this PSG side. The young winger will be AS Monaco’s biggest threat on the night, and PSG will be hopeful of getting past their rivals, with Doue having a big part to play in the second leg.
Prediction
PSG 2-1 AS Monaco
AS Monaco have major issues, not only with their performance from last week but also with key injuries. While they did manage to put in a good display at the weekend to secure a win over RC Lens, the challenge that awaits them at the Parc des Princes is rather tricky.
PSG will be keen to hold on to their good record against AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes, and Luis Enrique will target another victory over their domestic rivals. While both teams are expected to put up a fight, the Parisians might end up clinching a win by the narrowest of scorelines to secure a place in the round of 16.
