Football: PSG wins in Monaco, despite a goal from Embolo

After its narrow victory against AS Monaco (4-2) thanks in particular to a double from Ousmane Dembélé, PSG struck a big blow on Wednesday, taking a ten-point lead at the top of L1, three weeks before the Champions Trophy against the same Monegasques.

For its part, ASM still cannot succeed against the big teams and records its fifth defeat in ten matches in all competitions, such as against Arsenal, Benfica and OM.

Effective after being led 2-1 during the match, Paris partly killed the little suspense which surrounded the championship, Wednesday, at the Louis II stadium, at the end of a match full of twists and turns which ended with the red card from ASM coach Adi Hütter, who demanded a penalty.

After two consecutive draws against Auxerre (0-0) and Nantes (1-1), Luis Enrique’s men have regained scale and offensive efficiency, once again carried by Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Gifted. The former Rennais played a third match – after Salzburg and Lyon – in full.

With his French teammates in attack, Dembélé and Bradley Barcola, he switched throughout the match. The trio managed to embarrass the Monegasques, whom the Parisians will meet on January 5, in Doha, for the Champions Trophy.

Scorer by recovering the ball in front of the goal after a powerful strike from Fabian Ruiz was pushed back, Ousmane Dembélé equalized (2-2, 64th) thanks to an easy goal. His second achievement, on a lob, is more impressive (4-2, 90th+7) after having managed to resist Singo’s return.

Returning at the end of the match, Gonçalo Ramos reversed the score thanks to a header from a corner (3-2, 83rd).

The other French international striker, Randal Kolo Muani, was once again excluded from the group, as against Lyon.

His situation seems more and more complicated and his Parisian adventure could come to an end, from the winter transfer window, as he is not part of the Spanish coach’s plans.

Conversely, the Spaniard’s strong man this season is Achraf Hakimi, named vice-captain. Once again, he was very free on the right side, getting into the heart of the game or projecting himself a lot.

This was the case on the Parisians’ opening score, where it was the Moroccan who destabilized the entire Monegasque defense, before serving Désiré Doué, left alone in the area (1-0, 24th).

Under the eyes of Prince Albert sitting alongside ASM President Dmitri Rybolovlev in the princely box, Monaco overturned the match for the first time. Eliesse Ben Seghir equalized with a perfectly taken penalty (1-1, 53rd) then Breel Embolo doubled the lead (2-1, 60th).

On these two goals, Matvey Safonov could not do anything. The Russian goalkeeper returned during the game after the exit due to injury of Gianluigi Donnarumma (17th), who had his cheek completely opened after a clash with Wilfried Singo, who was not sent off or even warned following the action, arousing the incomprehension of Parisians.

The PSG doctor put ten staples on the Italian who received the full-back’s sole in the face.

The start of the meeting had already started in a particular climate. Monegasque supporters went on “strike” of encouragement for around ten minutes to protest against the holding of the Champions Trophy in Doha.

“Qatar is killing French Football” and “the LFP, female dog of Qatar” denounced ASM supporters on posters.

Some insulting chants against the League were sung on the Monegasque side, but also by the Parisian ultras who made the trip.

But this time, the announcer did not speak and the match was not interrupted as was the case on Sunday evening against OL at the Parc des Princes for a few minutes.

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