At the end of a match in its favor but long undecided on the score, PSG dominated Monaco during the 2024 Champions Trophy. A look back at the individual performances of the Parisians on a case-by-case basis.
Donnarumma: Back in goal against the team that disfigured him, the Italian did not show the slightest sign of fear or apprehension, even if he was little physically heckled. On his line, he was above all impeccable, whether Monaco called on him from afar like Akliouche or up close like Minamino, and he signed a logical clean sheet since he made no mistakes. With his feet, he was as efficient as possible, without trying to do too much. A very good restart.
Judge: It only took a few seconds to see that the legs were still there in 2025 since his famous long races were in sight from the first seconds. Always as generous offensively, the Moroccan was an offensive asset throughout the match, even if he had more visible sequences than others. Not happy in front of goal, he was sometimes a little imprecise in his crosses but his volume of play did the Parisian team a lot of good. Defensively, he was rather effective overall and knew how to be good at restarting, even in his own camp.
Marquinhos: The Parisian captain lifted one more trophy at the end of the match and he was no stranger to this success. Faced with constant pressure from Monaco, he always knew how to be accurate with the ball and restart cleanly. He could even have made the difference during the match with his strong presence on the Parisian corners but lacked precision. Defensively, he made several good interceptions but sometimes had difficulty managing the Monegasque waves, particularly at the start of the second half.
There : The truce obviously did good to the Ecuadorian who was particularly bloody on his first balls, eating Ilenikhena in the duels and restarting in a beautiful way. He had more difficulty in the long run against the Franco-Nigerian when the latter really launched his match but overall won his duel against him. On the restart, he was also little by little less enterprising but overall performed defensively until the end, even sometimes being on the edge when Monaco attacked in numbers towards the area.
Nuno Mendes: Less offensive than Hakimi on the opposite wing but not necessarily restricted, the Portuguese delivered an irregular match in all areas. With the ball, he missed an important restart per half, offering a clear opportunity each time, but he was also capable of several saving defensive interventions, notably at the start of the second half where he saved his team twice immediately. Overall, his second half was much better than the first, and not just because he took well from the indirect set pieces that were suddenly given to him.
Vitinha: The Parisian sentinel made such a discreet debut that she even changed position slightly during the first period, moving up a notch. But his first period remained very poor overall, apart from two strikes, one of which was really dangerous. The second was fortunately better, especially at the end of the match, but its absence of any defensive impact and a frankly questionable weight in the construction made it an insufficient performance overall.
Zaire-Emery: Positioned as a right relay player, he slipped naturally into his role as a balancing player behind Hakimi and Lee but ultimately played little for himself, which had the consequence of not signing any particularly notable actions. In the second half when the game was less controlled, his chest was appreciable but his inability to make real differences was a problem despite everything.
Mayulu replaced him and he found time in just a few minutes to send Fabian Ruiz deep on goal.
João Neves: Initially positioned as a left relay player, the Portuguese had a hard time finding his place, not helped by an agreement with Mendes and Doué who was not on point. Refocused quite quickly by his coach, he was then able to show much more initiative, often ordering the Parisian offensives or improving them with his eye without being in a very big day. His defensive activity was also felt, the midfielder fighting for each ball in the midfield. Even with an imperfect match, he was the best Parisian midfielder.
Fabian Ruiz replaced him and he initially made a really unconvincing entry, including a missed shot in a good position. But his good understanding on the left side with his partners paid off at the end since he gave two goal balls in stoppage time after good projections: Ramos missed the first match point, Dembélé converted the second.
Lee : The surprise starting XI was positioned on the right side and he quickly showed his usual style, with presence in the combined play on his wing, some nice touches of the ball and real quality in striking the ball. He was also close to opening the scoring on several occasions, Köhn brilliantly facing him on several occasions while the Korean missed the target from close range just before the break. The half-time also cut his legs since he was invisible in the second half until his exit, which is incomprehensible after his rather good first half.
Stagger replaced him and moved to the left side. He brought dynamism to the left side but on the other hand he was not very accurate in the last movement or when approaching the penalty area. He is involved at the start of the goal despite everything.
Dembélé: Placed in an unexpected role of false point, the Parisian central striker has long found himself making impressive differences as he approaches the goal but without managing to find the net however, whether it is his fault or that of the guard. Not really involved in the game in the end, dangerous due to his ability to be very destabilizing, he then seemed underused and Luis Enrique placed him on the right side for the end of the match with Hakimi. The duo quickly found their bearings and Dembélé was able to find the way to the goal to offer a trophy to PSG, which only enhanced the quality of his match.
Gifted : Positioned on the left side, he initially shone through the individual action which ended on the opposing crossbar before being a little more involved in the game, even if the Parisian left side did not play well. worked which deprived him of a greater number of one-on-ones against Vanderson. Always active defensively, Doué gradually gained momentum and his technique hurt Monaco in the second half. And if he still plays a little too much in sequences within a match, the young Parisian still showed good things overall.
Gonçalo Ramos replaced him and made a completely invisible entry until added time, the time for him not to convert a good opportunity then to occupy the defense and the goalkeeper on Dembélé’s goal. It’s hard to make it a particularly positive appearance though.
