It was another magical evening for AS Monaco, as the Principality side hosted, and beat a visiting Paris Saint Germain on the pitch of the Stade Louis II on Saturday, February 11, to the delight of the home supporters.

The Monegasques played with confidence right from kick-off, as Alexandr Golovin was on hand to score the first goal at only the fourth minute and shock the Parisian giants early on. 14 minutes later, Monaco captain Wissam Ben Yedder inevitably struck, firing the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma from a tight angle to double his side’s lead to 2-0 by the 18th minute.

A less than impressed Christophe Galtier spurred on his men to get one back, and that they did, as Warren Zaire-Emery managed to score a tap-in to make it 2-1 at the 39th minute. However, Monaco’s very own magician was not done with scoring on this occasion. A smooth turn and run into the box by Ben Yedder was followed by a delightful shot that hit the far post before bouncing into the other side of the net to make it 3-1 for the hosts in the first half’s injury time.

With yet another goal against PSG under his belt, Ben Yedder is the leading goalscorer against the Parisians since the Qatari takeover, which has helped them become one of the most formidable sides in Europe. This was another sign of his quality as a top striker on the global stage, and just how important a role he plays in the Monaco team.

The goalscoring frenzy simmered in the second half, as both sides kept pushing for another goal, but to no avail. Having fulfilled his duty for the evening, Ben Yedder came off and was replaced by Breel Embolo shortly after the 70 minute mark, a substitution that is often made by Monaco head coach Philippe Clement, but one that did not bear fruit on this occasion. Nevertheless Ben Yedder’s job here was done.

The intensity of the game did not calm until the final whistle, as the two teams kept up the pressure until the very end. However, it would be a success story for Monaco, as they beat their Parisian visitors by 3-1 with confidence and class. Had it not been for Donnarumma, PSG could have been properly thrashed, as the Italian keeper made some heart-stopping saves to keep his side from humiliation.

With this, another big win against Paris, Monaco leapfrog Marseille and Lens to climb up to second place in the Ligue 1 table.

Red and White supporters will have left the Stade Louis II with wide smiles, and the Monaco stars will no doubt have wildly celebrated their success, but the well oiled ASM machine will already be looking ahead to the trip to the Rhineland. On Thursday, February 16, Monaco will face off against Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen for the first leg of their Europa League play-offs.

Featured image courtesy of Reuters, Wissam Ben Yedder