Paris Saint-Germain struggled once again in the Ligue 1 season, facing a 2-1 defeat at home to AS Monaco on Friday. This marks the club’s first winless start in three league matches since the 2012-13 season.
Despite this disappointing beginning to the season, coach Luis Enrique is not alarmed and is choosing to focus on performance metrics rather than results.
“I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen. It’s just the start of the season. We’re not at our peak yet, but we deserved to win this match. That’s football—it can be frustrating. I’ve noticed a lot of positives, and our expected goals (xG) support that,” Luis Enrique remarked.
“How can I explain it? Football can be quite mysterious. I want to emphasize the players’ resolve. This season promises to be exciting, and we need to prepare accordingly.”
The loss at Parc des Princes came on a day when the defending champions announced significant contract extensions, securing Luis Enrique’s position until 2030 along with several key players.
This defeat leaves Monaco in first place, being the only team with a perfect record after three matches. PSG, meanwhile, faced this loss stacked on top of two earlier 2-2 draws against Rennes and Lille, as well as a loss in the French Super Cup to Lens last month.
PSG looked poised for their first win when Marquinhos scored in the 31st minute, but Monaco rebounded in the second half, with Flavio Názinho equalizing before Stanis Idumbo netted the winning goal in the 72nd minute.
“We’ve had difficulties against Monaco in recent years,” stated PSG defender Lucas Hernández. “We need to regroup ahead of the Champions League; it’s a competition we’re aiming for. I have faith in this team and our coach.”
Notably, U.S. striker Folarin Balogun was absent from Monaco’s squad after his move to Everton fell through this week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.