Paris Saint-Germain will host Monaco as the Ligue 1 resumes after the international break. After defeating Reims 3-0 in the previous game, Luis Enrique’s team ascended to the top of the rankings. Adi Hutter’s team was held to a 0-0 tie by Le Havre two weeks prior.
Preview (Paris Saint-Germain vs. Monaco)
In an attempt to make amends for their five-game winning streak, which ended in a 2-1 Champions League loss at AC Milan (their second loss in two away European games this season), PSG looked to a well-known opponent to dispatch Reims with absolute ease. The 24-year-old broke the deadlock with just three minutes gone with a spectacular side-footed volley, amid rumors that Real Madrid was officially giving up on Kylian Mbappe. In the second half, he met two cut-backs from Carlos Soler and Bradley Barcola to complete a record-breaking hat-trick.
With eight Ligue 1 trebles this century—he was previously tied with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on seven. On Friday, Mbappe might help PSG pull further away from their old team in first position. They have bounced back from playing catch-up in the first few weeks of Enrique’s tenure. PSG now sits atop the table with a one-point lead over Nice and a three-point lead over Monaco. They have won five straight games in the top flight, scoring three goals in each of those games.
PSG’s current five-game winning streak is already the longest in Ligue 1 history as of 2023. Notably, they have won all five of their previous home games in all competitions without giving up a goal. It is disheartening for the supporters of Monaco who saw their team defeated by a newly promoted team. Monaco’s away-day shortcomings almost cost them dear during their match against Le Havre. They were granted a stunning penalty with no fewer than 10 minutes on the clock in second-half injury time. It came two weeks after they were defeated 2-0 on Lille’s turf.
Team News
Warren Zaire-Emery, the 17-year-old wunderkind of PSG, earned his senior debut for France over the international break, but his dream baptism into the Bleus turned into a nightmare when he sustained a serious ankle injury while scoring in his country’s 14-0 thumping of Gibraltar. Zaire-Emery will stay in the treatment room until the New Year, according to the Ligue 1 winners. He will be accompanied by Marco Asensio (foot), Nuno Mendes (hamstring), Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles), Danilo Pereira (hamstring), Sergio Rico (head trauma), and Keylor Navas (back). Furthermore, late arrivals from South America and Asia may hurt Marquinhos, Manuel Ugarte, and Lee Kang-in’s prospects of playing Monaco; the latter needs to have his hamstring problem evaluated.
However, Monaco has now lost a vital player due to a domestic ban in the form of Youssouf Fofana. Mohamed Camara will have to contend with Eliot Matazo and Edan Diop in order to fill in for the France international. Hutter’s team is missing four players due to injuries: Mohammed Salisu (groin), Kaio Henrique (ACL), Myron Boadu (muscle), and Elisse Ben Seghir (shoulder). Balogun lost out to Wissam Ben Yedder for a starting spot against Le Havre. The latter has only scored once in Monaco’s past nine top-flight games. He scored four goals in his first three Ligue 1 games of the current season.
Paris Saint-Germain 2 – 0 Monaco
For more football previews, click here
