Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday came from behind to extend their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season with a 4-2 win away against AS Monaco, but lost goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to a gruesome facial injury.
The bloodied Italy international was left requiring 10 staples after sustaining lacerations to the right side of his face when he was caught by the studs of Monaco defender Wilfried Singo.
“I don’t know if the referee was badly positioned, but VAR [video assistant referee] needed to intervene, you have to protect the players,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “To not give a red in a situation like that, it’s a big call.”
Photo: AFP
Singo avoided any punishment for his clumsy, but apparently unintentional collision as Donnarumma was replaced by Matvey Safonov.
Singo later apologized for his actions.
The Italy international took the studs of one of Singo’s boots in the 17th minute. Singo, whose shot had been blocked, tried to jump over the sliding Donnarumma, but struck his face.
Photo: AFP
“My gesture was obviously not intentional, but I was able to see afterwards that he had a significant injury to his face,” Singo wrote on social media, in a message posted in French and Italian. “I wish you a good recovery.”
Donnarumma was left lying on the pitch while receiving treatment.
Photographs showed that Donnarumma was cut below his right eye.
Photo: EPA-EFE
PSG said that Donnarumma sustained “a facial trauma with multiple wounds.”
He underwent medical examinations yesterday and is likely to be rested for several days.
Desire Doue gave PSG the lead with his first league goal for the reigning champions.
Photo: AFP
That came after Achraf Hakimi rattled the post with an intended cross, but Monaco hit back with two goals in seven second-half minutes.
Eliesse Ben Seghir converted a penalty awarded for a handball by Marquinhos to level before Maghnes Akliouche crossed for Breel Embolo to poke Monaco in front on the hour.
That put PSG’s record 31-game unbeaten Ligue 1 away run in jeopardy.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Ousmane Dembele soon equalized and Goncalo Ramos headed in a corner shortly after coming on to swing the match back in PSG’s favor. Lee Kang-in’s long-range effort was tipped onto the post by Monaco goalkeeper Philipp Koehn before home coach Adi Huetter was sent off for his reaction to a penalty appeal being turned down following a challenge on Embolo.
Dembele struck again deep into stoppage-time to seal victory and signal his return to form after reports of tension with PSG coach Luis Enrique in the past few weeks.
The result opened up a 10-point gap between PSG and their closest challengers, Olympique de Marseille and Monaco, the last team to beat the capital club away from the Parc des Princes in March last year.
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