Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Paris Saint‑Germain with a finish from a Nuno Mendes cross in the 26th minute, and later set up Sergio Ramos, who headed in a Messi corner with 14 minutes left to seal a 2‑0 victory at Nice on Saturday. The win restored PSG’s six‑point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table and eased the pressure on coach Christophe Galtier.
Gianluigi Donnarumma was instrumental, producing several key saves, while Nice’s Dante was denied by the woodwork as PSG’s goal lived a charmed life on the Côte d’Azur. Earlier, Danilo Pereira had struck the woodwork for the visitors, and injury‑prone midfielder Renato Sanches left the field early with a knock. Donnarumma also saved shots from Nicolas Pépé, Terem Moffi, and later Youssouf Ndayishimiye, keeping the league leaders in control.
The victory came after PSG had suffered consecutive home defeats, leaving the Qatar‑owned club with eight losses in 18 games in 2023 and fueling speculation that Galtier might not finish the season. A win for nearest challengers Lens on Friday had narrowed PSG’s lead to three points before this match, setting up a top‑two clash in Paris next weekend. Nice, who have not lost in 15 matches across all competitions since Didier Digard replaced Lucien Favre as coach in January, remain eighth in the table.
Galtier, who was booed by sections of the Nice crowd—the club he left last year to join PSG—saw Messi’s opening goal quiet the dissent. The Argentine’s 14th Ligue 1 goal of the campaign arrived amid rumors that he may leave Paris when his contract expires this summer. In the second half, Dante sent an effort off the underside of the bar, the ball bouncing onto the line before hitting the post, providing a dramatic let‑off for the leaders. Late on, Danilo headed against his own crossbar, but the score stayed 2‑0.
Marseille can close to within six points of PSG with a win at Lorient on Sunday, while Lens remains in contention. AFP.
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