The Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain overcame a terrible start and a two-goal deficit to beat 10-man Monaco 3-2 in the first leg of their playoff tie. D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9 came off the bench to engineer an impressive turnaround for PSG, who conceded a goal in the opening minute and were 2-0 down after 18 minutes as Folarin Balogun grabbed a double for the hosts.<\/p>\n
The 20-year-old Dou\u00e9 replaced the Ballon d\u2019Or winner Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, who went off injured after 27 minutes, and proved decisive for the visitors as he struck two superb goals and set up one for Achraf Hakimi.<\/p>\n
Monaco spent most of the second half down to 10 men after Aleksandr Golovin was shown a red card for a studs-up tackle that raked down the shin of Vitinha with the referee, Jes\u00fas Gil Manzano, upgrading his original caution to a sending off after consulting the touchline screen.<\/p>\n
PSG are now in an advantageous position for the return leg in Paris next Wednesday as they look to progress to next month\u2019s last 16. However, the European champions were in all sorts of trouble after 56 seconds when Nuno Mendes had a stray crossfield pass cut out in midfield, handing Monaco a first attack with Golovin chipping for Balogun to head home from close range.<\/p>\n
Balogun outsprinted Marquinhos to double Monaco\u2019s lead, before Wout Faes pulled back Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to give away a 22nd-minute penalty. However Vitinha\u2019s effort was saved by Philipp K\u00f6hn.<\/p>\n
Yet the tie swung as Dou\u00e9 came on and scored with his first touch in the 29th minute after being teed up by Bradley Barcola. Dou\u00e9\u2019s rifling shot in the 41st minute was parried away by K\u00f6hn, but Hakimi reacted quickly to pounce on the rebound and make it 2-2 before the break.<\/p>\n
Achraf Hakimi fires in an equaliser for Paris Saint-Germain. Photograph: Frederic Dides\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Golovin\u2019s dismissal in the 48th minute left Monaco on the back foot as the visitors then dominated proceedings and should have had more than just the 67th-minute winner from Dou\u00e9; another superbly struck shot that flew into the goal from the edge of the penalty area.<\/p>\n
Galatasaray delivered a dominant performance to dismantle 10-man Juventus 5-2 in the first leg of their playoff, with Noa Lang and Gabriel Sara starring in a scintillating display.<\/p>\n