STADE LOUIS II, MONACO -- Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery conceded that his team were "tactically unbalanced" in their 3-1 defeat away at AS Monaco on Sunday.
The Spaniard saw his players fall behind to first half goals from Joao Moutinho and Fabinho before an Edinson Cavani header gave the French champions hope. That optimism was extinguished by a late Serge Aurier own goal, though, and Emery paid tribute to Leonardo Jardim's "controlling" hosts.
"We started well with two good chances," Emery said at his postmatch news conference. "But then Monaco scored with their first attack of the game and they're a side that know how to control a lead.
"They are very solid in defence, and we lost too many balls. In the second half, we came back to 2-1 and had chances to equalise, but then came that counterattack. After the third goal, the match was over.
"It's an experience for the future. I have confidence in the team. The players that played earned that right. I made changes to have more control of the game. We were tactically, a little unbalanced."
PSG were second best for most of the match in the principality and Thiago Motta, one of the capital club's more experienced figures, particularly struggled.
The Italy international was celebrating his 34th birthday and conceded that Les Monegasques "deserved" their three points.
"I think Monaco were the better team tonight," Motta told the press in the mixed zone after the match. "They deserved their win."
"Every defeat is hard to accept, this one especially, because like us, Monaco are hoping to play for the title.
"We will bounce back. We'll look at the match again and analyse the positives and the negatives."
Both sides now a have a fortnight off for the international break before resuming Ligue 1 action. PSG will be hoping to bounce back from their unexpected loss at home to AS Saint-Etienne.