At the Parc des Princes, the afternoon had all the makings of an already crucial meeting for PSG, eager to bounce back after their frustrating draw against Lorient in midweek. Facing him, Nice arrived launched by three consecutive successes in Ligue 1, determined to continue their series and strike a big blow in the capital. Luis Enrique relied on a 4-3-3 with Chevalier in goal, a Hakimi-Zabarnyi-Pacho-Nuno Mendes defense, a Neves-Vitinha-Zaire-Emery midfielder and an attacking trio Barcola-Mayulu-Kvaratskhelia. Opposite, Franck Haise opted for a compact and disciplined 5-4-1, with Diouf in the cage, a Bard-Oppong-Bah-Abdi defensive line, a Mendy-Sanson-Louchet-Boudaoui midfielder and Gouveia in support of Jansson alone at the forefront. François Letexier kicked off a match that seemed close, between a PSG focused on possession and the Niçois ready to padlock the spaces.
PSG
1
90’+5
Gonçalo Ramos
Nice
0
finished
The first period quickly confirmed the expected scenario: Paris monopolized the ball, but breaking the Nice wall was another story. Neves tried to light the first fuse with a countered shot from 20 meters after a patient sequence (5th). Then Barcola warmed Diouf with a curling shot after some nice work on the left, the Nice goalkeeper stretching out perfectly (14th). Kvaratskhelia, very inspired, had fun on the right but saw Oppong block his attempt in the area (18th). Despite this overwhelming domination, symbolized by 90% possession in the first quarter of an hour, Paris lacked edge. Nice, discreet and disciplined, pulled its head out of the water: Sanson armed the first Côte d’Azur strike after a quick transition (31st), then Bah almost silenced the Park on a corner, but Kvaratskhelia saved miraculously on his line before Chevalier grabbed the ball in the confusion (32nd). Vitinha (36th) then Barcola, clumsy in front of goal after a mix-up (39th), all missed the target again, while the duels hardened at the end of the period (42nd). Despite Parisian influence, the nets remained inviolate at rest.
The savior is (again) Ramos
Upon returning from the locker room, PSG raised their voice and increased their attacks, determined to finally resolve the situation. From the start, Hakimi found Barcola behind, but the winger missed the target again in an ideal position (46th). Neves then came close to opening the scoring with a cross shot brushing the post after a deflection from Oppong (53rd), before Zaire-Emery once again tested Diouf, vigilant on this long-range attempt (57th). Paris continued to press: Mayulu struck without precision (58th), then Kvaratskhelia and Barcola successively missed the target with their heads on crosses from the left (60th, 65th). The entries of Dembélé, Lee and Ramos brought offensive freshness, without breaking the deadlock. Dembélé had a huge opportunity at the near post on a cross from Kvaratskhelia, but he completely missed his backheel (76th). The Parisian pressure became stifling, Nice repelling several hot balls in its area at the cost of heroic counterattacks (77th). Ramos then thought he could deliver the Parc with a superb pivotal strike which licked the square of Diouf, beaten in the action (80th), before the Portuguese again tried his luck with a header on a cross from Lee, this time without danger for the Nice goalkeeper (80th). Still dominant, Ruiz failed to head at the far post after a cross from the right from Dembélé (85th).
On a nice breakthrough, Boudaoui launched Mendy in depth, but Pacho returned in time and Chevalier caught his left shot (89th). While the match seemed headed for a frustrating draw for PSG, Luis Enrique’s team found relief in the very last seconds. On a quickly played corner, Nuno Mendes combined with Ruiz before finding Kvaratskhelia, whose cross was headed by Ramos. Diouf again deflected the attempt over his bar (90’+4), but in the process, Lee took another corner to the right. Kvaratskhelia deflected with a header and Ramos appeared at the far post to score with a perfect header, giving PSG victory in stoppage time (90’+5). At the end of a thrilling match, PSG won an unexpected and valuable victory at the Parc des Princes (1-0). This success allows the Parisians to breathe in the standings before facing OM this evening and to calmly prepare for their trip to Lyon next weekend. Nice, faithful to its defensive plan and courageous throughout the match, leaves with a cruel defeat but will be able to concentrate on its European match against Friborg before challenging FC Metz. A dramatic end to the match which highlights both the courage of Nice and the perseverance of Paris, capable of changing a match until the last second.
