Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco return to Ligue 1 duties this weekend, against Le Havre and Angers respectively, following a two-game clash in the Champions League which left Monaco licking their self-inflicted wounds and sent PSG into the knockout phases.
Lapses of discipline in both play-off games for a place in the last 16 reduced Monaco to 10 men at crucial junctures.
At 2-2 in the first leg at the Stade Louis II on 17 February, Monaco midfielder Aleksandr Golovin was given a straight red card early in the second half for his hack on the PSG midfielder Vitinha.
PSG went on to score a third goal to take a wafer-thin lead to the return leg at the Parc des Princes on 25 February.
That advantage was wiped out when Maghnes Akliouche struck for Monaco on the stroke of half time at the Parc des Princes to make it 3-3 on aggregate.
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But within five second-half minutes, Mamadou Coulibaly was booked twice for fouls on Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi.
PSG scored twice soon after Couliblay's departure to turn the tie. Though Jordan Teze scored a second for Monaco in stoppage-time, Monaco could not force another to take the game into extra time as PSG advanced 5-4 on aggregate.
"Of course, we need to take lessons from the match," said Akliouche. "In particular regarding our mindset and the quality of our play, in order to finish the season strongly. We also need to learn from our mistakes to improve, that’s the goal."
PSG and the title
Monaco entertain Angers on Saturday with 34 points from their 23 games in France's top flight. They lie six points off fourth-placed Marseille who occupy the berth for the qualifying tournament for a place in the group stages of the 2026-2027 Champions League.
PSG, meanwhile are tussling for the title with Lens who lost the Ligue 1 lead following a 3-2 loss to Monaco on 21 February as PSG swept past Metz.
Should Lens and PSG win this weekend, Monaco might be able to do Lens a favour if they were to beat PSG in their Ligue 1 match on 6 March.
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"We will give everything once more," added Akliouche who featured in the France team that won silver at the 2024 Olympics before breaking into the senior squad.
"There are a lot of young players in the Monaco side and we need to use these kinds of matches to perform better next time."
In last season's Champions League, PSG had to negotiate the play-offs before dispatching three English Premier League outfits in the last 16, quarters and semi-finals en route to glory at the expense of Inter Milan in the final.
PSG and Chelsea?
On Friday, PSG were paired with Chelsea in the last 16.
Should the holders emerge from that tie, they will face Liverpool or Galatasary in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere in the draw for the last 16 of European football's most prestigious competition, Real Madrid take on Manchester City and Bayern Munich will play the Italian outfit Atalanta.
The Norwegian side Bodoe/Glimt, who are making their debut in the last 16, tackle Sporting Portugal while Barcelona are pitted against Newcastle.
Atletico Madrid will vie with a Tottenham Hotspur squad fighting for Premier League survival under the former Marseille coach Igor Tudor and Arsenal, beaten in the semis last year by PSG, will play Bayer Leverkusen.
(with newswires)
