Psg Vs Monaco: Holders Survive 10-Man Scare to Reach Champions League Last 16
Paris St-Germain finished 2-2 with Monaco to win the play-off tie 5-4 on aggregate and secure a place in the Champions League last 16. The result was settled after Monaco were reduced to 10 men and PSG responded with two quick goals, a sequence that turned the contest on its head.
Psg Vs Monaco: first-leg cushion and match context
PSG entered the second leg having held a 3-2 lead from the first leg, giving the hosts a one-goal aggregate advantage before kickoff. The tie finished 2-2 on the night and 5-4 overall, allowing the holders to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Maghnes Akliouche opens scoring for Monaco
Monaco took the lead just before half-time when Mamadou Coulibaly threaded a pass through to Maghnes Akliouche, who finished first-time into the bottom corner after the shot diverted in off the post. Earlier in the half, Akliouche had created a chance by playing a strong ball into the box, but Coulibaly's own effort from that opening flew high over the bar.
Mamadou Coulibaly shown two yellow cards in three minutes
The match shifted dramatically around the hour mark after Mamadou Coulibaly received a second yellow card three minutes after his first. The second booking came for a tackle on Achraf Hakimi, and Monaco were reduced to 10 men. That dismissal immediately altered momentum and provided PSG with a numerical advantage.
Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia score after the red card
PSG capitalised almost straight away. Marquinhos slotted home from Desire Doue's low cross to level the game and the aggregate score. Eight minutes later, in the 66th minute, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put PSG ahead on the night when he finished from close range after Achraf Hakimi's low strike was parried by Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Kohn into Kvaratskhelia's path. The pair of goals following the red card proved decisive in determining which side would advance.
Jordan Teze scores late consolation; draw for next opponent set for Friday 11: 00 GMT
Monaco earned a stoppage-time consolation when Jordan Teze struck into the bottom corner, but the goal was not enough to overturn the aggregate deficit. PSG, as Champions League holders, will now learn their next opponent in the knockout phase when the draw is made on Friday at 11: 00 GMT; their potential opponents are Chelsea or Barcelona, with the winner of that tie to be confirmed in the draw.
What makes this notable is how quickly the balance swung: Coulibaly's dismissal in a three-minute disciplinary window directly led to Marquinhos' equaliser and then to the opening for Kvaratskhelia to convert a rebound, illustrating a clear cause-and-effect sequence that decided the tie. The match ended 2-2, but the 5-4 aggregate scorelines and the timing of the red card were the decisive measurable impacts that sent PSG into the last 16.
All names central to the fixture—Maghnes Akliouche, Mamadou Coulibaly, Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Jordan Teze, Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi and goalkeeper Philipp Kohn—featured in the key incidents that determined progression. PSG progressed despite the late scare posed by Monaco, whose early lead and persistence ensured the tie remained in doubt until stoppage time.
The sequence of events in this play-off leg—an opening goal just before half-time, a double yellow that produced a red card within a three-minute span, immediate conjured responses from PSG, and a late consolation—encapsulates why the Champions League knockout places can turn on single moments and small margins.
