On Saturday, OGC Nice fell to defeat against PSG during Week 8 of L1 (0-3). The Gym was unable to add that little something needed to pull a surprise out of the bag, despite a professional performance. The step up was too high.

Keep alive as long as possible, to give some hope. Against Paris and its army of stars, the facts are always clear, but the opposition is always difficult to contain. Unfortunately, the Gym didn’t have enough time for the small flame to really take hold. Trailing (0-1) at the break, then having the wind knocked out of them just one minute after returning from the dressing rooms, they then played with ten men for half an hour and so were unable to dream of beating the giants for very long.

In the first five minutes, Benitez was forced to make two saves (to deny Rabiot and Mbappé) in order to ensure that the game wasn’t killed off before it had even started. The Argentine did the necessary. After this, the Red and Blacks started to move the ball about, looked to the power of Allan Saint-Maximin to make the difference; the accuracy of Tameze, who was excellent in the middle, to develop their game plan; and to the drive of Makengo, who was always looking forward but was forced off after half an hour due to injury (replaced by Cyprien).

“JV” was, in fact, heavily involved in the home side’s first real chance, when he played in Myziane after breaking into the box. The former Lyon man beat Kehrer, but was denied by a vigilant Aréola (5’). Thiago Silva almost scored an own goal from the corner that followed, and after that, the Gym continued to play, but was troubled by the movement and individual quality of the visitors. Neymar, playing in a free role was able to walk between the lines without issue; the wingers (Diaby and Nkunku) stayed out wide to add space through the middle; and Mbappé, at the tip caused issues every time he got going.

During the first 45 minutes, the visitors created a series of chances. Di Maria hit the post (11’), Malang showed his power in front of Marquinhos in order to protect his goal (15’); and at the end of a move started by Nkunku, flicked on by Mbappé and Diaby, Neymar opened up his foot from 18 metres out and found the perfect angle (0-1, 22’). The very same Neymar, just before the break, thought that he had secured a brace after PSG won the ball back high up the pitch but VAR reviewed and ruled it offside (43’); before Di Maria, unmarked from 6 metres out, sent his shot over Benitez’s bar (46’).

 

A tactical hit and… a hammer blow

At the break, the Gym was still in the game. Coach Vieira made the most of it to make a tactical change, bringing on Mario Balotelli to replace Racine Coly, and moving from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3. But Paris doubled its lead right at the start of the second half, with a schoolboy move which happened quickly (very quickly); a laser pass, a one-two between Mbappé and Nkunku, some immense acceleration from the world champion, who beat Benitez before striking against Malang Sarr. Nkunku was there to pick up the rebound and bury into the back of the net (0-2, 46’).

Troubled by this start to the half, the Red and Blacks saw their chances diminish. They later evaporated when Wylan Cyprien left his teammates down to ten men, after receiving a second yellow card on the hour mark. From that point onward, Paris brought less intensity to the game, attacked with less bite and kept the ball to ensure that there wasn’t even the start of a problem. Benitez made a couple of saves, but Paris finished the afternoon with a third goal, as Mbappé selflessly played into Neymar to finish at the end of the game  (0-3, 90+2'). 

C.D.

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