Monaco 2-3 PSG: Doue inspires holders to comeback win against 10-man hosts in Champions League thriller

Paris Saint-Germain recovered from going two goals behind to secure a 3-2 victory over Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League play-off tie.

The holders, forced into a play-off to ensure their place in the last 16, were stunned when Falorin Balogun put their fellow Ligue 1 counterparts ahead with two goals, either side of a missed Vitinha penalty.

But Desire Doue inspired the comeback for Luis Enrique’s men after netting minutes after coming on in the 25th minute before his saved shot saw Achraf Hakimi level the game before half-time.

Aleksandr Golovin’s red card early in the second half but the game firmly in PSG’s favour, with Doue netting his second of the night to secure the victory, though the tie is undoubtedly still tightly poised ahead of the second leg next week.

Check out all the action as it happened and watch the key moments from a crazy night in Monte Carlo.

Monaco vs PSG as it happened

The holders were stunned when Balogun headed the hosts ahead inside a minute after a Nuno Mendes ball was cut before they sprung on the counter, ending with Golovin teeing it up for the former Arsenal man.

While rocked by the early goal, PSG quickly found their groove and it looked like only a matter of time before they drew level, with Joao Neves firing a gilt-edged over the top.

But just as the visitors were turning the screw, Maghnes Akliouche picked out Balogun who raced in towards goal and slotted home to grab his second of the night.

PSG had the chance to immediately get back in the day when Wout Faes tripped Kvicha Kvaratskhelia clumsily, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot. But their disastrous start to the evening was made even worse when Vitinha’s spotkick was saved by Philipp Kohn to keep Monaco’s two-goal lead intact.

Luis Enrique acted by making the surprise decision to take Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele off inside 25 minutes but it was immediately vindicated when Doue, the man who replaced him, fired in from the left-hand side of the box to reduce the deficit.

Hakimi had PSG level just before half-time and substitute Doue made all the difference again when his shot was parried only into the path of the Morocco international, who controlled and finished.

It took just three minutes for the drama to continue after the break when Monaco went down to 10 men after a nasty high challenge by Golovin on Vitinha which rightfully saw him walk.

And PSG’s turnaround was complete just aftet the hour mark when Doue fired in his second of the night to put the holders on course for an away win in the first leg.

PSG knew they probably needed to increase their advantage to really make their one-player advantage pay and kill their opponents off but they were unable to do so, with goalkeeper Kohn making a string of saves to keep the tie in the balance and set up a second leg in the French capital with all to play for.