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PSG were beaten 3-0 by their bogey team AS Monaco in what was a pure annihilation of the Paris outfit at the Stade Louis II. Goals from Wissam Ben Yedder and Kevin Volland were enough to see off a subpar PSG team.
The men in blue showcased one of their worst performances of the season. The away side provided zero threat to the hosts and were completely played off the park by a rejuvenated Monaco side.
AS Monaco have won their 42nd game against PSG in just 99 appearances; the most by any French club in history. Phillipe Clement's men have been far from convincing this season, lurking below 6th place for the majority of the year.
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However, their performance this evening displayed their quality against the league leaders and this was a much-needed victory for the home side, amidst the ongoing institutional crisis at their club.
Mauricio Pochettino and Co. were handed their 4th defeat of the season. The Paris club have a terrible defensive record this season, conceding a goal in almost every game on average. To add insult to injury, Monaco ripped their midfield and defense apart today.
On that note, let’s take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 PSG is a disjointed team lacking cohesion
Every time PSG play, they look like a bunch of players who have never played together before.
Movement, awareness and willingness to track back, win the ball or make runs into the box seems non-existent. On their day, this team can beat the best in the world, as proved by their performances against Real Madrid and Manchester City at home in the Champions League. But such days are often rare.
It was another lackluster performance from the visitors, and it should not come as a surprise. Monaco outplayed them in every department of the pitch, and despite having a lead for 60+ minutes in the game, the home side attempted more shots on target than their opposition.
#4 A disastrous performance by Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos
PSG fans have been alacritous to boo two of the best players the footballing world has ever seen, Lionel Messi & Neymar Jr, but the two players who have seemingly evaded criticism for quite some time now are Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos.
The centre-back pairing has been a part of the club's defensive set up for a couple of years now, especially Marquinhos, who has appeared 355 times for the Parisiens. But the inconsistency is still evident. Right from silly errors and lack of awareness to brainfreezing moments in key areas on the pitch, the duo have arguably had the worst season of their PSG careers.
Wissam Ben Yedder had Kimpembe on the ropes throughout the game, while Kevin Volland won a penalty in the 85th minute after a lunging tackle by Kimpembe. The strikers clearly had a field day playing around PSG's defense.
#3 A statement win by AS Monaco amidst the crises on & off the pitch
Phillipe Clement's men came into this game standing 9th in the table, losing 4 of their last 8 games, while tying 3 and winning just one. AS Monaco have struggled for points throughout the season, and that has led to major changes behind the scenes at the club.
According to reports from L'Equipe prior to this fixture, Monaco owner Dmitry Rybolovlev has made the decision to undergo a major overhaul in the AS Monaco hierarchy. Vice-president Oleg Petrov, sporting director Paul Mitchell and manager Phillipe Clement could all be leaving because of the team's poor results this season.
The article also stated that today's results will have no effect on the president's decision, which we will have to wait and see. Rybolovlev has had his own share of controversies, as the Russian oligarch is being investigated for his links with Vladimir Putin.
And in the midst of everything going on behind the scenes, fans are not holding back either, as they have held protests opposing how the club is run and its results on the pitch.
It was important for AS Monaco to win this game, for their fans and for their own future.
#2 Lionel Messi's absence felt by PSG
The Argentine has had an average season considering his stature. The Argentine has racked up 10 assists in 18 league games, but for a player of his standards, it's not worth mentioning, as we recall the decade-long world-class performances we've witnessed.
Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe came up short in their pursuit of a goal. They both had 1 shot on target combined and lost possession 49 times throughout the 90.
With Leo Messi in the team, PSG created more chances at the very least. It was flabbergasting to see PSG ultras boo Messi out of all the players. The 34-year-old on his worst day could still end up scoring or assisting the match-winner, and today their team lacked his creativity and awareness on the pitch.
Achraf Hakimi, who is supported by Messi on the right, was surrounded by at least 2 men whenever he received the ball. He received no help from either Mbappe or Neymar, who operated through the left flank. Wijnaldum could not do much in attack either, while Danilo Pereira and Leandro Paredes were abysmal.
#1 There is no coming back for Mauricio Pochettino
PSG director Leonardo Araújo has had a stinker with his recruitment to replace a world-class manager like Thomas Tuchel. Mauricio Pochettino boasts an incredibly poor CV, taking into consideration that he has won 0 trophies in his managerial career prior to his PSG move.
For a club like PSG, the aim should be higher than to hire a manager who has regularly finished in the top six with Tottenham. Pochettino might be a good coach, but he is evidently not the perfect manager for this squad.
PSG have now dropped points in 9 games out of 29 in Ligue 1 this season, and have lost 3 away games in a row to Nantes, Nice and Monaco respectively. Regardless of whether they win Ligue 1 or not, the story of Mauricio Pochettino as PSG manager is seemingly coming to a conclusion.
With four defeats in their last six games and their star-player Kylian Mbappe pushing to exit the French club, it is about time the hierarchy sat together and made a well thought out decision moving forward. The appointment of the right coach and someone who can manage the big personalities in the dressing room could mark the beginning of a positive era for PSG.
