Ligue 1: Cesc Fabregas inspired Monaco to a 3-2 win over champions PSG

Monaco overturned a 2-0 deficit against Paris Saint-Germain as a late Cesc Fabregas penalty sealed the game 3-2 in favor of the home side.

PSG fielded a relatively weak side as Neymar and Marquinhos started the game on the bench, with Kylian Mbappe, whose brace made the difference in the first half, the biggest player in the starting line-up.

The Frenchman, Kylian Mbappe, opened the scoring midway through the first half with a smart finish, before adding a second from a spot-kick after a foul on Danilo Pereira in the box.

Mbappe thought he had completed his hat-trick but he had his goal disallowed, with team-mate Moise Kean also suffering the same fate after having a goal also disallowed as Les Parisien went into half time with a two-goal lead.

Monaco introduced Cesc Fabregas at halftime to add some necessary experience to a very young starting eleven, with eight players under 23.

Fabregas’ introduction sparked the team into life as Kevin Volland applied a clever finish to restore the home side’s chances.

His influence continued to pile the pressure on PSG as the Spaniard created an assist for Volland to score his second of the game to bring the game level at 2-2.

The away side looked completely out of ideas and soon after, Abdou Diallo made a dreadful error to allow Fabregas to score from a penalty to complete a memorable comeback for the home team.

PSG maintain their spot on top of the Ligue 1 standings but cannot afford another defeat on Tuesday in their Champions League tie with RB Leipzig, with speculation piling pressure on manager Thomas Tunchel’s future at the club.

VERDICT

PSG seem to be suffering mentally and physically from the disappointment of their poor Champions League run, and especially having to deal with the physical demands of a more robust fixture schedule compared to their peers in Ligue 1. But the team is clearly nowhere near the form that took them all the way to the final of the Champions League last season.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Cesc Fabregas (Monaco): He needed only 45 minutes to spark his young team-mates into life and prove yet again, how much quality he oozes.

The former Chelsea, Barcelona, and Arsenal midfielder has been accused in the past of playing too deep towards the defence, but in this game, he proved those critics wrong.

He appeared to play mostly like a classic number 10, spending most of this time in an advanced position on the edge of the box.

When creating the equalizer for Volland, his positioning on the field was as advanced as the striker’s and he could as well have had more than just the winning goal.

If Fabregas maintains this level of form, then Monaco have a real gem on their hands going forward this season.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Monaco will host Nimes in Ligue 1 while Paris Saint-Germain will travel to Germany to face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Tuesday.