The Parc des Princes will wait until Tuesday, against Bayern Munich (9 p.m.), to vibrate. But despite not seeing a great performance, the Parisian fans were able to enjoy a victory. Three days before the highly anticipated duel in the Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain snatched the three points in stoppage time against OGC Nice on the 11th day of Ligue 1, avoiding a fourth draw in five matches on the national scene and the return to the ranking of Monaco, Marseille or even Strasbourg.
During 94 minutes of play, the Niçois completely succeeded in their mission. Unsurprisingly, Franck Haise had designed a particularly defensive team, with a very low quartet and two wingers, Ali Abdi on the left and Tiago Gouveia, João Neves’ best friend, on the right. A line of six which perfectly blocked the Parisian offensives, frustrating a lonely Senny Mayulu and a Khvicha Kvaratskhelia lacking space.
Luis Enrique’s men have, however, searched for an opening for a long time. After ten minutes of play, they had 95% possession of the ball, proof of their extreme domination. The Aiglons were, however, ready to run for a long time to save the point from the draw. After half an hour, only Bradley Barcola had weakly challenged Yehvann Diouf.
The 10th corner was the right one
Nice finally had the best opportunity of the first half when, in the 32nd minute, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia blocked a Juma Bah rebound from a corner. A big warning which slightly woke up PSG. “They defend low, we have to go faster, rotate faster and open up spaces by calling deep,” said Warren Zaire-Emery at the break. It’s a difficult match, we will have to do better in the 2nd half. »
It was ultimately the people of Nice who did better. Particularly thanks to the entry of Sofiane Diop, overmotivated and unstoppable between the lines. Very comfortable technically before his injury (71st), the former Monegasque allowed his team to play slightly higher and create some dangerous counter-attacks at the start of the second act. Far too thin, however, to hope for a three-point hold-up.
This change, however, did not disrupt their defensive organization. The Parisians struggled during the extra 45 minutes, despite the entries of Fabián Ruiz, back in the group, and Ousmane Dembélé. It finally took a final corner, the 10th of the afternoon, to see Gonçalo Ramos score for his 100th match with Paris Saint-Germain. Three days before the duel against Bayern Munich, relentless since the start of the season, PSG did not shine. But he knows how to sublimate himself on the European scene.
