France interantional of Ivorian descent Désiré Doué was the masterminder for Paris Saint-Germain’s thrilling comeback against AS Monaco, scoring twice to overturn a two-goal deficit in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off.
The 21-year-old replaced the injured Ousmane Dembélé before the 30-minute mark and wasted no time making an impact, finding the net just two minutes after coming on. He then delivered the match-winning goal in the second half, completing a stunning turnaround that left Monaco stunned at the Parc des Princes.
Doué’s influence continued in PSG’s domestic outing on Saturday against FC Metz. With Dembélé sidelined due to the same injury, Doué started the match and opened the scoring in PSG’s 3-0 demolition of Les Grenats. However, he was substituted at half-time, sparking concern over his availability for the crucial UCL second leg on Wednesday.
Manager Luis Enrique moved quickly to calm fears, confirming after the Metz victory that Doué’s substitution was purely precautionary.
“Everything is good,” Enrique said. “He has nothing, it’s just prevention.”
The assurance from the PSG coach means Doué should be available for Wednesday’s pivotal second-leg clash, giving the reigning French champions confidence that their in-form forward can once again make a decisive impact in Europe.
