PSG are in complete control here in Monaco and head into the break two goals ahead. Mbappe already has a brace tonight and thought he had a first-half hat-trick but his third effort was ruled out for offside by VAR. Monaco need to respond early in the second-half or PSG could easily run this score up.
45′ + 2′ HALF-TIME: MONACO 0-2 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN.
45′ + 1′ GOAL DISALLOWED!! It stays 2-0 here in Monaco. Mbappe had strayed just offside and VAR cancels out his first-half hat-trick.
45′ GOOOOOAAAAALLL!!! 3-0. MBAPPE HAT-TRICK!!!! What a player this young man is. Diallo bursts forward with the ball and feeds a ball through to Mbappe who chips Mannone from 10 yards out. What a lovely finish that is.
43′ It’s a long, long way back for Monaco now in this one. The hosts have largely played well but find themselves two behind before the break. PSG are managing this game very well and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they go on to add more goals this evening.
40′ VAR confirms that Kean was infact offside and Monaco survive going a third goal behind. That’s a huge let off for Badiashile whose mistake led to that disallowed finish.
39′ PSG look like they have a third as Kean finds the top left-hand corner of the net but the linesman flags him for offside. VAR will get involved with this one.
37′ GOOOOAAAALLLL!!! 2-0 PSG. MBAPPE AGAIN!!!! The French forward steps up to the penalty spot and dispatches his effort. His attempt is full of power and it easily beats Mannone to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.
Y. Fofana
Yellow Card
35′ Fofana gets a yellow card for the late challenge.
35′ PENALTY FOR PSG!!! Rafinha breaks into the box and crosses from the right but Fofana follows through on his man and the referee points to the spot.
34′ PSG have won each of their last four away Ligue 1 games without conceding a goal. Monaco will need something special tonight to turn this one around.
32′ NEARLY AN EQUALISER!! What a let off this is for Kurzawa! A ball is looped over from the left wing by Monaco and the full-back tries to nod the ball back to Navas but his effort doesn’t get there. Instead he gives the ball to Geubbels who heads wide from five yards out.
30′ OOOHHHH! PSG could have a big chance on the counterattack but Mbappe can’t play through Kean. It’s a big punt up field from Kurzawa but the Monaco defence are asleep on the halfway line and Mbappe breaks. The French forward tries to find Kean but Badiashile does well to recover.
28′ PSG are really focusing their play down the left wing so far tonight in an effort to really test Matsima at right-back for Monaco. The full-back could do with a bit more help from Martins in front of him.
Á. Di María
Assist
25′ A lovely through ball from Di Maria who sliced the Monaco defence open with that contribution.
K. Mbappé
Goal
25′ GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!! 1-0 PSG. MBAPPE!!! What a finish this is! Monaco lose the ball in mthe middle of the park and Danilo pounces. The midfielder releases Di Maria who in turn finds Mbappe through the middle. Disasi has to pull out of the challenge as the PSG winger rounds him before coolly slotting into the top left corner from just inside the box as Mannone advanced.
24′ Monaco are doing a fantastic job of pressing the play when necessary here. Youngster Matsima in particular has done well so far tonight in his task of facing Mbappe head-to-head.
22′ Monaco have won only two of their last 16 Ligue 1 games against Paris (D8 L6), after winning three of the previous four (D1). Monaco are in fact winless in their last seven games against PSG in the top-flight (D2 L5), while they have never gone 8+ consecutive league games without a win against them.
Danilo Pereira
Yellow Card
20′ Danilo is the first name into the referee’s book tonight for a brash foul on Tchouameni. The Portuguese midfielder was just too late there.
18′ Great play from Mbappe gives Di Maria a chance to shoot from distance. The Argentinian winger goes for goal from around 30 yards out but his left-footed effort drifts harmlessly wide.
16′ Not too many chances in this one so far. PSG have dominated the early possession but there’s no lack of fight from Monaco who are very much getting stuck into their tackles.
14′ PSG look to be playing in a 4-2-2-2 formation tonight with Mbappe joining Kean upfront for the visitors. The pair will certainly pose some big challenges for Disasi and Badiashile at the back for Monaco tonight!
12′ CHANCE! Volland steps up to the free kick and unleashes a left-footed strike from 25 yards out. His effort is powerful but it’s straight at Navas who pushes the ball away to his right.
10′ Danilo commits a handball and Monaco have a very dangerous free kick just outside of the PSG penalty area. Volland looks like the one to take.
8′ The first shot of the match comes from Diop for the home side. The winger cuts inside from the left flank but his effort is weak and slides well wide of Navas’ near post.
6′ As expected, Mbappe has already had plenty of touches of the ball in the early stages on this match. His return from injury is a huge boost for Thomas Tuchel and his PSG side.
4′ Monaco were of course the last team to win Ligue 1 other than PSG – Les Monegasques winning the 2016-17 title. A win tonight against their rivals from Paris would send out a big statement!
2′ Early frustration for the visitors as Rafinha’s through ball towards Mbappe hits the referee. That could have been a big early opening for PSG.
1′ Referee Clement Turpin blows his whistle and we’re underway here at Stade Louis II!
The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick-off is just moments away.
Monaco are unbeaten in their last eight home Ligue 1 games (W5 D3), their best run since December 2017-August 2018 (13). Will the hosts be able to keep that run going tonight by thwarting Mbappe & co?
After winning last time out at home to Rennes 3-0, PSG boss Thomas Tuchel makes a few changes due to new injury concerns. Star forward Mbappe returns on the right after playing for France in mid-week whilst Kean also starts despite skipping international duty due to a slight knock. With a long list of injuries for the away side and despite a lengthy trip back from his native Argentina just a few days ago – Di Maria starts on the left wing tonight. Rafinha and Dagba also grab rare starts as Neymar is only fit enough to make the bench.
Monaco boss Niko Kovac opts for a surprising and very youthful line-up with his side struggling for their strongest XI due to injury concerns. Goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte is out until next year so former Reading and Sunderland shot stopper Mannone starts in goal whilst Wissam Ben Yedder returned a positive COVID-19 test whilst on international duty in mid-week. Ruben Aguilar misses out through suspension so 18-year-old Matsima fills in at right-back. There’s also starts upfront for the experienced Volland and exciting prospect Geubbels.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN SUBS: Sergio Rico, Marquinhos, Alessandro Florenzi, Mitchel Bakker, Timothee Pembele, Leandro Paredes, Kays Ruiz-Atil, Bandiouguo Fadiga, Neymar.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Colin Dagba, Presnel Kimpembe, Abdou Diallo, Layvin Kurzawa; Pablo Sarabia, Danilo Pereira, Rafinha; Kylian Mbappe, Moise Kean, Angel Di Maria.
MONACO SUBS: Radoslaw Majecki, Guillermo Maripan, Caio Henrique, Strahinja Pavlovic, Cesc Fabregas, Florentino Luis, Eliot Matazo, Stevan Jovetic, Enzo Millot.
MONACO (4-4-2): Vito Mannone; Chrislain Matsima, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Fode Ballo-Toure; Sofiane Diop, Aurelin Tchouameni, Youssouf Fofana, Gelson Martins; Kevin Volland, Willem Geubbels.
After the latest international break, domestic football resumes in France with this heavyweight clash between two of the country’s most prestigious outfits. Monaco come into this fixture sat in sixth spot in the standings whilst visitors PSG currently sit atop of the Ligue 1 table with 8 wins from ten matches.
Hello and welcome to our live text commentary of this Ligue 1 fixture between Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain!
K. Mbappé
Penalty Goal