Paris Saint-Germain secured a crucial 3-2 away victory over AS Monaco on Tuesday night in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie for a place in the Round of 16.
Monaco made a flying start, with Folarin Balogun finding the net twice in the 1st and 18th minutes to hand the hosts a commanding early lead.
However, PSG mounted an impressive comeback before and after halftime. Désiré Doué struck twice in the 29th and 41st minutes to level the score, before Achraf Hakimi completed the turnaround with a decisive goal in the 67th minute.
Monaco’s task became even more difficult when Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card in the 48th minute, forcing the home side to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
The result gives PSG a valuable edge ahead of the second leg at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Despite lifting their first-ever Champions League title last season, the Parisian club were unable to secure automatic qualification for the Round of 16 this year, finishing 11th in the league phase with 14 points and entering the play-off round for the second consecutive season.
Under head coach Luis Enrique, PSG now move a step closer to another deep European run, while Monaco face a difficult challenge in the return leg in the French capital.
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