PSG had salvaged 2-2 draws having trailed in their first two matches, and starting slowly had become a theme in recent times, as they had only led at the break in one of their previous six league matches.
Their attempts to improve that record ramped up 12 minutes in when Desire Doue slipped a pass through to Achraf Hakimi, whose blocked shot ricocheted back to Doue, and his follow-up was well saved by Lukas Hradecky before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia finally blasted over.
Doue’s effort in that move was his second effort on goal after an early sighter for Hradecky, while Monaco showed no sign of the side who had won their opening two Ligue 1 games without conceding.
And it was just past the 30-minute mark that Luis Enrique’s side denied Monaco another clean sheet, putting together a composed move down the left, resulting in Kvaratskhelia firing over a cross which Marquinhos diverted in with his chest.
The Georgian winger came close to getting on the scoresheet himself soon after when a low fizzing drive required a smart stop from the goalkeeper, before the visitors finally registered a shot in added time, but Paris Brunner’s strike went wide of the post following a well-worked move.
Monaco did the double over Les Parisiens last season, but three H2H wins in succession was looking beyond them as PSG continued to dominate early in the second half, and a new addition from the principality, Maghnes Akliouche, attempted to show his old side what they were missing by flicking the ball goalwards following a free-kick, but his former teammate Hradecky saw it coming.
Yet what few saw coming was an equaliser, but that’s exactly what arrived just before the hour mark, when Jordan Teze’s floated cross was headed in by Nazinho, as Monaco scored with their first shot on target.
Despite the setback, PSG’s attacking endeavour made them look the more likely to score the next goal, only for the visitors to hand them another shock with 18 minutes to play. Aleksandr Golovin shaped to shoot from range only to thread the ball forward to Stanis Idumbo, who took aim despite his narrow angle on the left side of the box, but the power beat Matvey Safonov at his near post.
PSG thought 2-2 draw number three was sealed late on, but Ferran Torres’ finish was ruled out for offside and Les Monegasques held on to become the first team to beat PSG three times in a row in Ligue 1 since their Qatari takeover.
It’s also the first time the European champions have gone four without a league win since 2023.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lukas Hradecky (Monaco)