30th day of Ligue 1, the Gym hosted the Parisian leader this Saturday in its stronghold for a match with a tense context.
After 4 consecutive draws in the championship, OGC Nice needed to deliver a strong performance against Paris Saint-Germain, who had been defeated in their last two Ligue 1 matches. Still unbeaten since Didier Digard took charge, the Gym hoped to maintain this undefeated streak and thus gain points in the race for Europe. It was therefore a crucial match in the final stretch of the season for both teams, played in a particular context: the return of Christophe Galtier to the French Riviera, the coach of Nice last season now at the helm of PSG.
The opening of the match was fairly balanced between the two teams, both trying to gain control of the ball. It was the Azurians who managed to accelerate first through Nicolas Pépé and Terem Moffi, but Gianluigi Donnarumma easily intervened in front of his line. The Parisians then responded with Danilo, who sent a header against Kasper Schmeichel’s right post, before Lionel Messi, with more precision using his left foot, deceived the Danish goalkeeper (0-1, 26th minute) after a ground-level cross from Nuno Mendes. 10 minutes later, Thuram saw his shot deflected by the defense just centimeters from the post. This generated some regrets for Digard’s men, who kept their hopes alive and created some opportunities to equalize, but the Parisian goalkeeper made two more saves before the break against Pépé and then Moffi.
As they returned from the locker room, OGC Nice maintained the momentum from the end of the first half to put pressure on the men in white to reset the scores. Dante successfully beat Donnarumma, but his ball hit the crossbar and the post, failing to trigger the Goal Line Technology watch. Shortly after, the Italian won another duel against the Ivorian striker on loan from Arsenal. Nice’s opportunities multiplied as the match progressed, but PSG was consistently saved by their goalkeeper or by the lack of precision from the men in red and black. Despite the Eagles’ dominance, Paris countered and earned a decisive corner in which Sergio Ramos scored with a glancing header (0-2, 74th minute). This two-goal cushion did not discourage the Eagles, who remained offensive in the final quarter-hour. Substitutes Gaëtan Laborde and Billal Brahimi tried their luck in front of the goal but failed to make a difference.
It was therefore a tough defeat for the Gym, the first for Didier Digard on the red and black bench. Unfortunate against an exceptional Donnarumma, the Eagles who conceded two goals would have deserved to score one tonight. A result that does not reflect the content of the match, but still highlights the poor form of recent weeks. Nice now finds itself 7 points behind Rennes, the first team qualified for European competition.
