PSG coach Luis Enrique must decide whether to protect lead or attack against Monaco

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PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique may be unsure how to approach the second leg of the Champions League playoff against Monaco on Wednesday.

Although PSG is 3-2 ahead, protecting leads is not his style. But attacking too much against a technically strong Monaco side could expose his team to costly counterattacks.

Coach Sébastien Pocognoli’s Monaco has 13 goals in the past six games. Although two of those have been defeats, the attack is looking much sharper.

Monaco went 2-0 up inside 20 minutes against PSG last week, only for clumsy defending to allow PSG back into the game. Against Lens on Saturday, Monaco overturned a 2-0 deficit with a three-goal burst in 10 second-half minutes.

PSG’s defense looks weaker than last season — conceding against Monaco after just 55 seconds — and is not helped by uncertainty over the goalkeeper.

“The team can improve defensively at the moment,” Luis Enrique said at a pre-game news conference. “When you are 2-0 down within 20 minutes it normally ends in disaster. But we have shown this season and last that we can overcome any difficulty.”

Since Gianluigi Donnarumma’s departure, Luis Enrique has alternated between Matvei Safonov and summer signing Lucas Chevalier.

Slick combination

Pairing Ansu Fati and Folarin Balogun in attack could be Pocognoli’s best option.

Fati has nine goals in 20 games, including a fine lob in against Lens on Saturday.

The former Barcelona teenage prodigy has been hampered by minor injuries this season. He went on as a substitute against Lens but Pocognoli is likely to start him against PSG.

Balogun has also dealt with injuries but finally seems fully fit. The American forward’s two goals against PSG last week and his opportunist strike against Lens showed he is back in form.

Their movement up front, allied to the runs of attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche, may stretch PSG’s defense and leave space for midfielders behind.

Fati and Akliouche can dribble at speed, while Balogun’s versatility allows him to play wide or through the middle.

Risk of counterattacks

Rapid counterattacks are Monaco’s strength.

When Monaco beat PSG 1-0 in Ligue 1 in November the goal came from a quick break. On Saturday, the third goal against Lens was a slick counterattack ending with Fati’s lob.

PSG showed vulnerability to quick balls played behind the full backs when it lost at Rennes 3-1 this month; while Monaco’s first goal last Tuesday saw left back Caio Henrique finding space behind right back Achraf Hakimi and Aleksandr Golovin crossing for Balogun to head in.

Henrique and right back Vanderson both like to attack. This may force Luis Enrique to instruct his own attacking full backs, Hakimi and left back Nuno Gomes, not to push up too much.

Dembélé injured

PSG will be without star forward Ousmane Dembélé

The Ballon d’Or winner came off with a calf injury last Tuesday and missed Saturday’s home game against Metz in Ligue 1.

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Dembélé has been hampered by injuries and has hardly played a full season during his career, with setbacks affecting his six seasons at Barcelona before he joined PSG.

“I don’t know how long (Dembélé will be out for), it depends on certain things,” Luis Enrique said. “We don’t want to take any risks. It’s not serious but we need to be patient.”

Fabián Ruiz remains sidelined. The Spain midfielder has not played for PSG since hurting his left knee on Jan. 20 in the 2-1 defeat at Sporting Lisbon.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer