PSG lose again to Monaco on eve of Bayern Munich visit

MONACO: A weakened Paris Saint-Germain lost a second straight game in all competitions to Monaco 3-1 in the French league on Saturday, three days before facing Bayern Munich. Monaco climbed to second place, seven points behind a rattled PSG. Undefeated in all competitions from August to December, PSG have become fragile.

They lost to Lens and Rennes in the league last month and were knocked out by Marseille in the last 16 of the French Cup on Wednesday. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe were out injured but Neymar played. Bayern come on Tuesday for the first leg in the Champions League round of 16.

Wissam Ben Yedder scored twice for Monaco. His blocked shot rebounded for Aleksandr Golovin to beat PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the fourth minute. Ben Yedder doubled the lead in the 18th as Monaco pressed high up the pitch.

Krepin Diatta dispossessed El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Ben Yedder buried an angled strike into the far corner. Teenage midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery pulled one back for PSG by tapping home a low cross from Juan Bernat in the 39th. But Ben Yedder restored Monaco’s two-goal lead moments before halftime with a curling shot off the post.

He tied Reims striker Folarin Balogun as the top scorer in the league with 14. Donnarumma prevented PSG being in a bigger hole by halftime. He parried a close-range header from Ruben Aguilar and denied Golovin, who was clean through on goal.