Deccan Chronicle

Monaco maul champs

- — AFP

Paris, Aug. 29: Reigning champions Paris SaintGerma­in suffered their first defeat under new coach Unai Emery on Sunday, going down 1-3 to a rampant Monaco at the Stade Louis II.

Joao Moutinho put Monaco ahead before a Fabinho penalty doubled their lead just before halftime to leave the visitors up against it.

Edinson Cavani pulled a goal back in the second half but a Serge Aurier own-goal late on secured a deserved win for the home side that lifts them level on seven points with early league leaders Guingamp.

PSG lie a point behind in fifth place after seeing their perfect start to the campaign ended in the principali­ty.

It is a defeat that will raise major questions about the capital club’s strategy after a summer in which they sacked coach Laurent Blanc and lost their talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovi­c.

Spaniard Emery was brought in from Sevilla fresh from winning the Europa League but it was always going to be difficult to find a successor to Ibrahimovi­c.

PSG went unbeaten through their first 27 league games last season before eventually being beaten at the end of February while in the two previous seasons they did not lose in Ligue 1 until December.

The warning signs had been there in their opening two wins against Bastia and Metz, in which Paris failed to entirely convince despite winning.

Against a Monaco side fresh from beating Villarreal to qualify for the Champions League group stage, they fell behind in the 13th minute and never recovered.

Moutinho, a Euro 2016 winner with Portugal, got the opener with a terrific first-time strike from a Djibril Sidibe cross and Cavani squandered a decent chance to level the scores before Monaco won a penalty right at the end of the first half.

 ?? AFP ?? Monaco’s Brazilian defender Fabinho (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against PSG on Sunday. —
AFP Monaco’s Brazilian defender Fabinho (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against PSG on Sunday. —

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