Title deciders don’t usually come in December but this certainly had the air of one. Paris Saint-Germain’s draws against Nantes and then Auxerre had opened the door to challengers but it was slammed shut on an eerie evening in Monaco.
Initially scheduled to take place in early January, this match was brought forward due to an addition to the calendar – the Trophée des Champions. The French equivalent of the Community Shield, pitting the winners of Ligue 1 against that of the Coupe de France (or the second-placed team in Ligue 1 in the event of a domestic double, a feat PSG achieved last season), it was set to take place in China before the start of the season. However, Chinese authorities pulled out of hosting the event at the last minute.
Just like last year, it will instead take place in January. Last year’s edition, which PSG won, was played at the Parc des Princes. This year the newly named Visit Qatar Trophée des Champions will take place in Doha. In protest against the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), accused of pandering to PSG’s interests, Monaco’s ultras boycotted the start of the top-of-the-table match, making for an eerie atmosphere unbefitting of the event – a potential title decider even before the halfway point of the season.
“The question of the title would be difficult [if we lose],” said Maghnes Akliouche before the match. PSG were looking to go 10 points clear at the top with a win at the Stade Louis II, a stadium where they had not won in nearly five years.
Parisians’ breathing room at the top was afforded by Monaco’s dip in form. The Principality club had registered two wins in their previous six games. Injuries to key players, notably Denis Zakaria, their captain, and Folarin Balogun, out for four months after undergoing a shoulder operation on Tuesday, had played a part in the drop off.
Balogun’s absence in particular is harmful. Breel Embolo, who has just three goals this season and is massively underperforming his xG (three goals to 7.12 xG), and 18-year-old George Ilenikhena, whose progress is “stalling”, according to manager Adi Hütter, have failed to fill the void. On the latter, Hütter added: “He has shown that he can be a goalscorer and there is no doubt that he is a promise for the future.” That is always the difficulty at Monaco, treading the fine line between developing the next generation and sustaining the high levels of performance expected.
Their drop off, coupled with Marseille’s poor form at home, with just two wins at the Vélodrome all season, have eased the pressure that was mounting on PSG. Much of that pressure has come from their poor performances in the Champions League, still the ultimate objective for owners Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), although back-to-back draws did give the chasing pack a scent of opportunity, especially given those draws came before matches against Lyon and Monaco.
But PSG brushed aside Lyon in the first 15 minutes on Sunday and then immediately got on the front foot against Monaco, with Achraf Hakimi striking the post inside the first five minutes before Bradley Barcola, one-on-one, tested Philipp Köhn just moments later.
Then came the image of the match: Gianluigi Donnarumma’s face bloodied, bruised, and then stapled after a collision with Wilfried Singo. It came as the Ivorian, put through on goal, tried to chip the goalkeeper, failed, and then caught him flush in the face with his follow through. Singo was already on a yellow card and did not receive a second, nor a straight red, with referee François Letexier deeming the foul “imprudent” rather than “reckless”.
“If VAR is there, you have to tell him [the referee]. You have to protect players,” said Marquinhos afterwards. Gonçalo Ramos was similarly baffled. “We all saw his face. I don’t know how it isn’t a red card. Tonight, Donnarumma wasn’t protected.” Singo apologised to the PSG keeper after the match and then did so again on social media on Thursday morning. In the meantime, the Ivory Coast international had been victim of a swathe of racial abuse online, since condemned by the Principality club.
It was in the immediate aftermath of that incident that PSG took the lead. With Christian Mawissa injured, the more defensive-minded Vanderson was switched from his usual right-back berth to left-back. However, the Brazilian could do little to stop Hakimi galloping down the wing, cutting inside, and pulling back for Désiré Doué, who slotted home first-time to register his first Ligue 1 goal for PSG.
Köhn, in for the injured Radoslaw Majecki, was forced into a string of saves before the break to keep The Monegasques in the game, and Hütter’s side made the most of their reprieve. Akliouche burst into the box with his deflected pass catching the arm of Marquinhos. Another Monaco academy product, Eliesse Ben Seghir, tucked home the penalty.
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Seven minutes later on the hour-mark, Monaco took the lead. Once again it was Akliouche, impressing in front of the onlooking Didier Deschamps, who was at the heart, putting the ball on a plate for Embolo to clip home at the front post.
But the lead didn’t last long with Ousmane Dembélé the first to pounce on a Köhn parry. Substitute Ramos then emphatically headed home Lee Kang-in’s corner to give PSG a late lead before Dembélé added a late fourth with a composed chip. PSG, therefore, remain unbeaten in Ligue 1 and are now unbeaten in their last 32 away league games.
Coming out to play, Monaco in many ways played into PSG’s hands. There is a reason why the champions have beaten all of the top five but have had to settle for draws against low-blocking sides such as Nantes, Auxerre and Reims. “To win, we need a perfect day and a perfect game, in both directions,” said Hütter, whose choice to press PSG high, an unequivocal principle of this Monaco side, afforded the room for his opponents’ gifted individuals to thrive.
“I don’t know if the [title race] is over. I’m taking care of my team. We are 10 points away but we have our own objectives,” said Hütter. Luis Enrique was also inconclusive: “The Ligue 1 [title race] is still very open. Five days ago, we only had a five-point lead,” he pointed out.
Donnarumma’s bloodied face will for ever be the image associated with this game but even at this early juncture it could be seen as the day in which the Ligue 1 title was decided, come May.
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