Monaco will not give in easily to their well-known opponent

In the Champions League Round of 16 on February 17, 2026, Monaco will face PSG. The hosts will not give in easily to their well-known opponent.

The Monegasques slipped one spot last season, finishing third. Early in the autumn, the management decided to replace Hütter with Pokognoli—ultimately, with the team winning as often as losing, they dropped to mid-table. Their opponent from the capital won every tournament they entered in 2025, except for the Club World Cup. In January, they also added the Super Cup to their tally. However, right after that, they were eliminated from the cup, losing to local rivals Paris. Even in Ligue 1, the usual gap at the top is missing.

In the Champions League, Fati and company were not particularly impressive. They had only two wins—against Bodo/Glimt and Galatasaray—with two defeats as well. Still, that was enough to make it to the playoffs, even though in January they lost 1-6 to Real Madrid in Madrid and failed to score against Juventus’ second squad, settling for a 0-0 draw.

The title holders also did not put on a show—much like in the main round of last season’s Champions League. Everything was decided back in 2025, with four wins in the first five matches (with a 1-2 loss at home to Bayern). After that, they settled for draws with Athletic and Newcastle, and even lost to Sporting.

Monaco vs PSG: Key Statistics and Trends
Monaco drew half of their main stage matches
The team scores 1.75 goals per game, conceding 1.0
PSG have not won in their last three matches
The club scores 2.63 goals per game, conceding 1.38
Monaco vs PSG: Probable Starting Lineups
Monaco (probable lineup): Ken — Kehrer, Zakaria, Teze — Ouattara, Golovin, Fati, Camara, Koulibaly, Diatta — Balogun

PSG (probable lineup): Chevalier — Mendes, Pacho, Marquinhos, Hakimi — Zaïre-Emery, Vitinha, João Neves — Barcola, Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia

Previous Matches: Monaco vs PSG
The teams face each other frequently. In the autumn, Monaco, after having managed just one draw in five matches, finally won thanks to a lone goal from Minamino.