Paris Saint-Germain extended their Ligue 1 lead to 10 points with a thrilling 4-2 victory over AS Monaco at Stade Louis II on Sunday night, thanks to a second-half brace from Ousmane Dembele.
Despite losing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma early in the match, PSG showed resilience to overcome a 2-1 deficit and maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The match took an early twist when Donnarumma was forced off the pitch in the 22nd minute after a collision with Monaco’s Wilfried Singo.
The Italian goalkeeper suffered a gashed face and was replaced by Sergio Rico, leaving PSG to navigate the remainder of the match without their first-choice shot-stopper.
Despite the setback, the Parisians responded positively just two minutes later when Achraf Hakimi made a powerful run down the right wing, pulling the ball back for Desire Doue to slot home the opening goal. The visitors’ lead, however, was short-lived.
Monaco, buoyed by the home crowd, found their equalizer in the 52nd minute when PSG captain Marquinhos was penalized for a handball in the box. Eliesse Ben Seghir stepped up to calmly convert the penalty, making it 1-1. ‘
The momentum swung in Monaco’s favour as Breel Embolo put the hosts ahead on the hour mark, heading home from a well-delivered cross by Maghnes Akliouche.
But PSG were far from finished. Dembele, who had been a constant threat, found the equalizer in the 64th minute, cutting in from the right and firing past Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Kohn.
The visitors’ response was swift, and just minutes after the equalizer, substitute Goncalo Ramos made an immediate impact. The Portuguese striker powered home a header from a Lee Kang-In corner in the 67th minute, giving PSG a 3-2 lead.
Monaco’s hopes of a comeback were extinguished in dramatic fashion during the dying moments of the match.
With the clock ticking into the seventh minute of stoppage time, Dembele sealed his brace and the win for PSG, racing away on a counterattack and delicately lifting the ball over Kohn to score.
It was the latest goal scored by a PSG player in Ligue 1 since the 2006-07 season, a fitting end to an action-packed contest.
The victory extended PSG’s unbeaten run to 16 matches this season, a remarkable feat that has seen them dominate Ligue 1 so far.
Additionally, the Parisians have now gone 32 away matches without defeat, a run only surpassed by AC Milan (38 matches) and Bayern Munich (33 matches) in the top five European leagues.
In the wake of a challenging start to the match, Luis Enrique’s side showed the resilience and quality that has defined their season.
Dembele’s two goals were pivotal in securing the points, and Ramos’ quick-fire contribution from the bench highlighted the depth of talent at PSG’s disposal.
As the final whistle blew, PSG stood firmly at the top of the Ligue 1 table, 10 points clear of their nearest rivals, and with a sense of invincibility surrounding their unbeaten streak.
