Mbappé rescue act ensures Nice evening for PSG
With pressure mounting on Nice boss Lucien Favre, including rumours of an approach for Mauricio Pochettino to replace him, a good performance here was crucial. Largely, that’s what he got from his travelling side, with Les Parisiens reduced to very few chances from open play. At dead ball situations though, trouble was afoot. Lionel Messi missed narrowly with a free-kick opportunity early on, but perfected his craft on the half-hour mark, planting his effort into the top corner and leaving Kasper Schmeichel motionless.
Famously, PSG’s concentration tends to dip when they find things a bit too easy and that was true here, conceding in sloppy fashion within two minutes of the restart. A seemingly innocuous cross from Youcef Atal evaded the statuesque backline and allowed Gaetan Laborde the chance to control and fire past Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The game was now open, with both sides looking like they could find a winner, something that seemed incomprehensible in the first half. Christophe Galtier’s men were able to limit clear-cut chances, but were struggling to create some of their own, with Schmeichel only really called into action to deny Nuno Mendes as the final stages approached.
Nice’s resistance had been so impressive, but the immense pressure of a frontline of superstars eventually proved too much. Nordi Mukiele broke clear on the right, allowing the Frenchman to slot in his compatriot Mbappé, who slotted home the winner. That goal ensured PSG’s only slip up of the season remains a draw with AS Monaco earlier in the season as Les Parisiens appear to be marching towards yet another title. A remarkable record was equalled in the process by Sergio Ramos, who is unbeaten in each of his first 21 Ligue 1 games, needing just one more to move out as the all-time leader.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
