UEFA Champions League — Doue inspires PSG to a 3-2 win over Monaco; Dembele walks off with injury

The UEFA Champions League holder Paris Saint Germain (PSG) overcame a horror ‌start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man AS Monaco 3-2 away ​in the first leg of their knockout round playoff tie on ⁠Tuesday.

Desire Doue came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, which conceded a goal in the opening minute and was 0-2 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun ‌grabbed a double for the host.

The 20-year-old Doue replaced Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive ‌for the visiting side as he struck two superb goals plus set up ‌one ⁠for Achraf Hakimi.

Monaco spent most of the second half down to 10 ⁠men after Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card for a studs-up tackle that raked down the shin of Vitinha with the referee upgrading his original caution to a sending off after consulting the ​touchline VAR screen.

PSG is now in ‌an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as it looks to progress to next month’s last 16.

However, the European champion was in all sorts of trouble after 56 seconds when its full-back Nuno Mendes had ‌a stray cross-field pass cut out in midfield, handing Monaco a first ​attack with Golovin chipping for Balogun to head home from close range.

Monaco looked to be in the driving seat as Balogun netted a ⁠second goal after Maghnes Akliouche’s cleverly weighted pass allowed the American striker to outsprint PSG captain Marquinhos and score.

PSG WASTE PENALTY OPPORTUNITY BUT STILL WIN

Its fortunes were still looking ‌good despite a defensive slip by Wout Faes, which led to the defender pulling back on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and giving away a 22nd-minute penalty, but Vitinha’s effort was saved by Philipp Kohn.

But the tie swung as Doue came on for Dembele and scored with his first touch in the 29th minute with a left-footed effort after being teed up by Bradley Barcola. The goal was confirmed after a VAR ‌check denied Monaco’s claims for a foul on defender Vanderson in the build-up.

Doue’s rifling shot in ​the 41st minute was parried away by Kohn, but Hakimi reacted quickly to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-2 before the ⁠break.

Golovin’s dismissal in the 48th minute left Monaco on the back foot as the visiting side ⁠then dominated proceedings and should have had more than just the 67th-minute winner from Doue – another superbly struck shot that flew into the goal ‌from the edge of the penalty area.

PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery missed a couple of good chances and Hakimi came close to a late fourth goal when ​his 86th-minute angled effort went close across the face of the goal.

Published on Feb 18, 2026