Willian Pacho plays all 90 minutes without a slip, but PSG falls 2-1 to Monaco in Ligue 1

Parc des Princes fell silent twice in the second half, and both times the ball was sitting inside PSG's net. With Willian Pacho starting and playing well for long stretches, the Parisian side could not hold onto its lead and ended up losing 2-1 to Monaco in matchday three of Ligue 1.

The Ecuadorian took his usual spot at the heart of defense, pairing up with Marquinhos, and looked solid throughout the first half. He closed down space well, making life difficult for Mamadou Coulibaly and Paris Brunner as they tried to find clear paths to goal. There was even one standout moment that became one of the images of the match: Pacho stripped the ball off Brunner just as Monaco's attack was starting to build, snuffing out a counterattack that looked dangerous.

He did not just sit back either. Whenever PSG had possession, the defender pushed forward a few yards to offer another passing option, linking up with Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz. Nothing flashy, but it showed a good sense of when to join the attack and when to hold his position.

The second-half slump

The trouble started after the break. PSG dropped off the pace and Monaco, who had been a nuisance in the air all match, finally cashed in: Nazinho rose to head home the equalizer. Not long after, a brilliant strike from Stanis Idumbo made it 1-2 and left the Parisian crowd stunned into silence.

Pacho looked a bit rattled in that stretch, like the rest of the team. But he did not hide: he raised his level as the minutes wore on and, late in the game, even pushed further forward as the home side searched desperately for a goal that might salvage something from the match.

The numbers back up his strong individual showing amid the team's defeat: he played all 90 minutes, finished with 100 percent passing accuracy, won all six of his duels, made three recoveries and added one interception. A near-flawless game on an individual level, even if the final result says otherwise.

For PSG, the domestic picture is starting to look uncomfortable. The club is still winless in Ligue 1 and sits in 12th place with just 2 points after three rounds. There is no time to catch a breath: next Wednesday PSG opens its Champions League league phase at home against Slovan Bratislava, a match where it will need to shake off the memory of this domestic stumble in a hurry.