Paris Saint-Germain – AS Monaco: Parisians Put Through Their Paces (2-2)

The second leg of this all-French affair was another opportunity for the holders of the Champions League to leave a mark on the rest of Europe. However, they required a large serving of self-inflicted damage from their opponents to take the tie into their own hands, receiving a reminder of the size of the task that they are trying to achieve by the end of May.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

Paris Saint-Germain gave Europe a spectacle to behold at the start of 2025, storming to their first ever Champions League crown as part of an eventual quintuple. But as hard as it has been for the team to arrive at the summit of the continental stage, staying there is a meaner feat to try to accomplish. The relentless fluidity and energy from the previous year has set a hard standard to sustain, and injuries have afflicted a camp that are still struggling to wrestle control of Ligue 1 away from RC Lens.

AS Monaco are one of the clubs who have tried to disturb the hegemony of the Parisians in French football. Their attempt at that target this campaign never truly got going as Adi Hütter was dismissed from the dugout by the beginning of October. His successor, Sébastien Pocognoli, presides . . .