Super sub Lee Kang-in’s late assist powers PSG to 4-2 win over Monaco

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lee Kang-in bagged an assist in his side’s 4-2 win over AS Monaco at Stade Louis II on Wednesday in Ligue 1, marking his second assist of the 2024-25 season.

With the score tied at 2-2, Lee took a corner in the 83rd minute, setting up Goncalo Ramos to head home. Ousmane Dembele extended PSG’s lead, sealing the 4-2 victory in stoppage time with a chip shot after racing down the left flank.

Before Lee entered the match in the 65th minute, it had been a neck-and-neck affair.

Desire Doue opened the scoring for PSG in the 24th minute, but Monaco leveled the game with a penalty from Eliesse Ben Seghir in the 53rd minute and snatched the lead through Breel Embolo, who slotted the ball in the 60th minute. Dembele equalized for PSG with a rebound in the 64th minute, setting the stage for Lee’s assist.

Wednesday’s assist brings Lee’s total contributions this season to six goals and two assists in 22 appearances. It was his first assist since Nov. 9, when he recorded two goals and one assist against Angers — his most significant contribution in a single game this season.

PSG continued their unbeaten streak in Ligue 1, securing three points to retain the top spot on the table with 12 wins and four draws as of Thursday.

The Ligue 1 defending champions are 10 points clear at the top and remain the only unbeaten team in the league.

However, PSG has struggled in the Champions League despite their domestic success. The club is in the elimination zone, sitting 25th with two wins, one draw and three losses.

PSG needs to win their remaining two group-stage matches to keep their knockout-stage hopes alive, with the top eight teams in the 36-team table directly qualifying for the round of 16 under the revamped Champions League format. Teams ranked ninth to 24th will enter playoffs to determine which sides join the last 16, while teams below 24th will be eliminated.

The Ligue 1 champions face Premier League giants Manchester City in their next Champions League match on Jan. 23, followed by their final fixture against VfB Stuttgart on Jan. 30.

Before their next Champions League match, PSG will face Lens in the French Cup round of 64 on Sunday.

Lee can focus solely on PSG until March next year, as no international breaks are scheduled in January and February.

The 23-year-old midfielder has been a regular for the Korean national team in the third round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers, having played all six matches in which Korea secured four wins and two draws.

Korea will resume 2026 World Cup qualification with a match against Oman on March 20.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]