Paris Saint-Germain continued the defence of their UEFA Champions League crown in dramatic fashion, recovering from two goals down to beat AS Monaco 3–2 and extend their unbeaten run to 16 knockout matches in the competition under Luis Enrique.

For the second successive European campaign, PSG were drawn against domestic opposition in the play-off round. While Stade Brestois 29 were swept aside 10–0 on aggregate last season, Monaco proved far sterner opponents in the opening half of this encounter.

The visitors needed less than a minute to strike. Folarin Balogun rose unmarked at the back post to head home Aleksandr Golovin’s inviting cross, stunning the reigning Ligue 1 champions.

Balogun was not finished there. Just after the quarter-hour, he grabbed his second of the night — and fourth career goal against PSG — racing onto Maghnes Akliouche’s through ball before finishing confidently past Matvei Safonov.

That second goal jolted PSG into life. A lapse in concentration from Wout Faes allowed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to burst through on goal, only to be brought down by the Belgian defender in a desperate recovery challenge. However, Vitinha saw his resulting penalty saved by Philipp Köhn, preserving Monaco’s two-goal cushion.

Gradually, though, Les Parisiens found their rhythm. Before the break, they had restored parity with two clinical finishes. Désiré Doué ignited the comeback, rifling in off the post from a tight angle, before Achraf Hakimi mirrored that precision from the opposite flank to make it 2–2 at half-time.

PSG’s momentum was further boosted shortly after the restart when Golovin was dismissed for a high challenge on Vitinha, reducing Monaco to 10 men. Enrique’s side monopolised possession thereafter, though clear-cut chances proved harder to come by against a deep-lying Monaco defence.

The breakthrough eventually arrived midway through the second half. Doué was again the hero, driving a powerful effort into the bottom corner from just inside the area to complete a stirring turnaround.

From then on, PSG sought to kill the tie. Monaco rarely ventured forward, with Denis Zakaria’s long-range effort that flashed narrowly wide representing their only notable threat.

Ultimately, the visitors could not add a fourth, leaving the contest finely poised ahead of next week’s second leg at the Parc des Princes. There, Les Monégasques will attempt to defeat the capital club for only the second time in six meetings across all competitions — a formidable task against a PSG side brimming with quality and confidence.