Psg Vs Monaco: PSG Advance to Champions League Last 16 After 2-2 Draw, Win 5-4 on Aggregate
The Champions League tie between PSG and AS Monaco finished 2-2 on 25 Feb, 2026, but Paris Saint-Germain progressed to the last 16 by winning 5-4 on aggregate. The result matters because a red card to Monaco’s Mamadou Coulibaly and quick responses from PSG turned a tight tie into a holders’ victory and set up a high-profile round of 16 matchup.
Psg Vs Monaco: Parc des Princes turning point
The second leg at Parc des Princes was level on aggregate until a series of match-defining incidents late in the first half and early in the second. Monaco took the lead just before half-time when Mamadou Coulibaly threaded a pass to Maghnes Akliouche, who converted a first-time finish that struck the post and went in. Earlier in the match Akliouche had provided a dangerous ball into the box that led to a close-range miss by Coulibaly, who side-footed over from near the penalty spot.
Mamadou Coulibaly: two yellow cards and a 21-year-old’s sending off
Coulibaly, aged 21, was shown two yellow cards in three minutes and saw the second yellow in the 59th minute following a foul on winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The dismissal left Monaco with 10 men and immediately altered the match dynamic. The timing matters because the red card prompted a quick free-kick sequence that produced PSG’s equaliser and swung momentum toward the holders.
Marquinhos and Désiré Doué: the equaliser and quick set-piece play
From the free kick played down the right, Désiré Doué delivered a low cross that Marquinhos poked home to level the tie. Marquinhos, PSG’s captain, has now scored two goals in his past eight Champions League games — the same number he had in his previous 48 appearances in the competition. That finish immediately erased Monaco’s advantage and set up the decisive period that followed.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi: the go-ahead goal and circumstances
Six minutes after Marquinhos’s equaliser, Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia fired in from close range after Achraf Hakimi’s low strike was parried by Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Köhn into his path. Hakimi was on the field a day after being ordered to stand trial in a rape case on Tuesday, a legal development that framed his appearance. Kvaratskhelia’s goal put PSG 2-1 on the night and in command of the tie.
Maghnes Akliouche: early influence and international context
Akliouche’s involvement was central to Monaco’s approach. The 24-year-old midfielder set up his own goal and earlier created the chance Coulibaly missed. Akliouche is pushing for a place in France’s World Cup squad, and his performance in this tie may bolster that case. His background includes breaking into the France team last September, scoring against Azerbaijan two months later, and representing France when it reached the final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Last season he produced a notable overhead kick for Monaco, meeting a Vanderson cross and volleying with his left foot.
Late response and aggregate outcome
Jordan Teze scored in stoppage time to make the final score 2-2 on the night, but it was only a consolation for Monaco. The aggregate scoreboard finished 5-4 in PSG’s favour, meaning the holders will advance and will discover whether they face Chelsea or Barcelona in the last 16 at the knockout draw on Friday at 11: 00 GMT. The win sets up an A-list round of 16 matchup for last year’s champions.
Until the sending off, PSG had appeared jittery and Monaco were gaining control, but Coulibaly’s late tackle near the touchline shifted momentum to the home side; a quick free kick was immediately exploited and the tie turned. What makes this notable is how swiftly a single dismissal and a set-piece sequence reversed an otherwise balanced tie.
Contextual form lines underline the rivalry: Paris SG have won five of their last seven meetings with Monaco in all competitions (with one draw and one loss), and on home soil PSG have lost only one of their last 10 against Monaco (winning six and drawing three), that solitary home defeat coming by 2-0 in 2020-21. Outside of league play, Monaco have lost 13 of their last 14 matches against Paris SG (drawing one), a run that includes six defeats in the Coupe de France, three in the Trophée des Champions, the first-leg defeat in this UEFA Champions League tie and three defeats and a draw in the Coupe de la Ligue.
Monaco had led 2-0 in the first leg last week before surrendering the advantage through defensive lapses. This recap used information from The.
