Monaco threaten to deepen Paris Saint-Germain’s early-season crisis

Paris Saint-Germain could suffer a record-breaking setback in the QSI era when they host Monaco in Ligue 1 on Friday, with a third successive league defeat by their opponents potentially creating an unwanted piece of history.

The reigning French champions welcome Monaco to the Parc des Princes hoping to end a difficult start to the 2026-27 campaign. PSG have drawn with Rennes and Lille in their opening two matches and, if they fail to win on Friday, they will go without victory in their first three league games for the first time since 2012-13.

According to Opta, PSG have lost their past two Ligue 1 meetings with Monaco. No team has beaten the Paris club in three consecutive league matches since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took control of the club.

Monaco therefore have the opportunity to achieve something no other Ligue 1 side has managed during the QSI era.

PSG were beaten 1-0 by Monaco in November 2025 before losing the return fixture 3-1 in March. The sides also met twice in the UEFA Champions League last season, with PSG winning one match and drawing the other before progressing 5-4 on aggregate.

Since the 2020-21 season, PSG have lost six of their 12 Ligue 1 matches against Monaco, recording four wins and two draws. That is at least two more defeats than they have suffered against any other side in the competition during the same period.

There is, however, a precedent for PSG recovering from a slow start. In 2012-13, they drew each of their first three league matches but went on to win the title. That team remains one of only two sides in the 21st century to become French champions without winning any of their opening three fixtures, alongside Lille in 2010-11, when Lille also drew their first three games.

Monaco have made the stronger start this season, winning both of their opening league matches. A victory at Parc des Princes would give them three wins from their first three games for only the second time in the 21st century. The previous occasion came in 2017-18, when they began the campaign with four consecutive victories.

PSG have won their first home league match in 10 of the past 12 seasons, drawing one and losing one. They have also kept a clean sheet in nine of those 12 fixtures, including each of their past three: a goalless draw with Lorient in 2023-24, a 6-0 victory over Montpellier in 2024-25 and a 1-0 win against Angers in 2025-26.

Monaco’s away form offers encouragement. They have won five of their past eight Ligue 1 matches on the road, alongside one draw and two defeats. That is the same number of away victories they managed in their previous 24 league games away from home, a run that also included seven draws and 12 losses.

PSG have scored six Ligue 1 goals in second-half stoppage time during 2026, at least two more than any other team in the division. Monaco, by contrast, have not conceded during that period since Lille’s Olivier Giroud scored against them in August 2025.

The match could also mark Maghnes Akliouche’s first appearance for PSG at the Parc des Princes against his former club Monaco. Akliouche made 139 appearances for Monaco in all competitions. The Parc des Princes is the ground where he has contributed to the most goals in his career, excluding Monaco’s Stade Louis II, with two goals and one assist.

Paris Brunner has the highest expected-goals rate in Ligue 1 this season when penalties are excluded, at 1.87. The Monaco striker has also registered more shots than he did at the same stage last season, with nine compared with four, and has made more touches in the opposition penalty area, 13 compared with 10. Those figures have come in 138 league minutes this season, compared with 127 minutes in 2025-26.

Monaco manager Filipe Luis could make further history of his own. After two Ligue 1 victories and two wins in the UEFA Conference League qualifying play-offs, he will become the first coach to win each of his opening five matches in all competitions while in charge of Monaco if his side triumph at Parc des Princes.