Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos has put his side in front against Monaco in their Ligue 1 third-round meeting, scoring in the 31st minute of the home match in Paris.
The Brazil international finished from a pass by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, sending the ball past Monaco goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to give PSG the lead. The goal was initially subjected to a review by the match officials, who examined whether Marquinhos had been offside or had handled the ball in the build-up.
After checking the incident, the officials confirmed the goal, leaving the hosts ahead in the contest.
Both sides began the match with notable players from their respective national teams in the starting line-up. Matvey Safonov started in goal for PSG, while Aleksandr Golovin was named in Monaco’s starting XI.
The match is an important early meeting in the 2026-27 Ligue 1 campaign, with the clubs having made contrasting starts to the season. PSG entered the third round after drawing both of their opening league fixtures. The reigning French champions therefore began the match still seeking their first victory of the campaign.
Monaco, by contrast, had taken maximum points from their first two matches. Those results left them top of the table on points lost, giving the visitors the stronger position before the meeting with PSG.
Marquinhos’ goal consequently offered PSG a significant moment in a match that began with the home side under pressure to turn draws into a win. It also came in a move involving Kvaratskhelia, whose assist allowed the PSG captain to break the deadlock.
The goal was not immediately accepted without scrutiny, however. The officials spent time reviewing the incident because of the possible offside position and the suspicion that Marquinhos may have used his hand. The decision to award the goal preserved PSG’s advantage after 31 minutes.
Hradecky was unable to keep out the effort, while Safonov retained his place in the PSG goal for the fixture. Golovin’s inclusion meant Monaco also had one of their key midfielders on the pitch from the start.
With PSG having collected only two points from their first two league games and Monaco arriving with two victories, the result of the match carries early significance in the Ligue 1 standings. For PSG, the advantage provided by their captain represented an opportunity to improve a slow opening to the season. Monaco, meanwhile, were looking to maintain the momentum that had taken them to the top of the table on points lost.