Paris Saint-Germain's four-game winning streak ended with a 0-0 draw against Nice in the French league on Wednesday as the high-powered attack led by newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi came up empty.
Nice goalkeeper Walter Benitez parried Kylian Mbappe’s low strike in the 27th minute and denied Angel di Maria in the 51st. PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was less busy but still had to push behind Andy Delort’s close-range header in the 32nd to help maintain a 12-point lead atop the standings.
Before kickoff, Messi showed the spectators the record seventh Ballon d’Or trophy he won Monday as the world's top player. But PSG seemed to miss his injured attacking partner Neymar as the team lacked presence in the box, with Mbappe often playing on the left wing in the Brazilian's absence.
PSG's Lionel Messi, left, duels for the ball with Nice's Mario Lemina, center, and Nice's Dante during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Nice at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. (AP PhotoThibault Camus)
Nice should have scored in the 59th but Kasper Dolberg hit the post with a header from two yards.
Messi then slipped a through ball to Mbappe, who missed the target from 10 yards in the 64th.
Marseille climbed to second place by edging Nantes 1-0 after Brazilian midfielder Gerson controlled a pass from Dimitri Payet and buried the ball into the bottom corner in the 30th. Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 32nd.
PSG's Kylian Mbappe, left, kicks the ball during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Nice at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. (AP PhotoThibault Camus)
Rennes fell to third place after losing 2-1 to defending champion Lille. Portuguese duo Renato Sanches and Xeka scored for Lille in the first half, while. Rennes midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud netted a consolation goal in the 85th.
Reims stunned mid-table Lyon 2-1 as substitute Hugo Ekitike capitalized on a blunder by Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to score the winner in the third minute of stoppage time. Lyon hosted Reims without spectators after the league sanctioned the club for incidents at the Groupama stadium on Nov. 21 when Dimitri Payet was hit on the head by a bottle of water thrown from the stands in a game that was abandoned.
Mohamed Bayo salvaged a point for struggling Clermont with a 65th-minute equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw with fifth-place Lens that lifted the club out of the relegation zone.
PSG's Kylian Mbappe reacts during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Nice at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. (AP PhotoThibault Camus)
Germany international Kevin Volland helped Monaco beat Angers 3-1 and move into seventh place by setting up Dutch striker Myron Boadu in the 25th and Sofiane Diop in the 45th. Angers pulled one back in the 55th when Azzeddine Ounahi’s low drive bounced off goalkeeper Alexander Nübel and into the net, but Axel Disasi restored Monaco’s two-goal lead with a close-range effort in the 73rd.
Strasbourg climbed to sixth place, level on points with Monaco, by thrashing Bordeaux 5-2. Ludovic Ajorque scored twice to raised his tally to eight goals this season, while Adrien Thomasson, Kevin Gameiro and Dimitri Lienard also netted for the hosts.
Montpellier moved into the top half of the table by downing lowly Metz 3-1 with goals from Teji Savanier, Stephy Mavididi and teenage striker Elye Wahi.
Brest won a fifth straight game by edging bottom side Saint-Etienne 1-0 thanks to Romain Faivre’s spot kick into the top corner in the 64th after Saint-Etienne midfielder Lucas Gourna had handled the ball.
Troyes snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Lorient 2-0 to move three points above the relegation zone, with goals from Renaud Ripart and Mali international Rominigue Kouame.
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Paris Saint-Germain all but sealed a record-equaling 10th French league crown with five rounds to spare by winning 3-0 at Angers on Wednesday.
PSG is 15 points ahead of second-place Marseille and has a vastly superior goal difference, but still still needs one point at home against Lens on Saturday to clinch the title.
PSG is set to move level with Saint-Etienne, which won its 10th title in 1981 and is fighting to stay up this season. PSG only had two titles to Marseille's nine when cash-rich Qatari owners QSI bought PSG in 2011.
PSG's Kylian Mbappe, left, challenges with Angers' Angelo Fulgini, right, and Angers' Souleyman Doumbia during the League One soccer match between Angers and Paris Saint Germain, at the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, western France, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoJeremias Gonzalez)
Kylian Mbappe fired PSG ahead from the edge of the penalty area in the 28th minute after swapping passes with right back Achraf Hakimi.
Former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos headed in Angel Di Maria’s cross following a short corner just before the break, and captain Marquinhos headed in another fine pass from Di Maria in the 77th.
It looked like PSG would be able to start celebrating the title as Nantes led twice at Marseille. But Marseille rallied with Dimitri Payet netting two penalties and midfielder Amine Harit clinching a 3-2 win when he scored against his former club in the 75th.
PSG's Sergio Ramos, right, celebrates his goal with PSG's Achraf Hakimi during the League One soccer match between Angers and Paris Saint Germain, at the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, western France, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoJeremias Gonzalez)
Marseille strengthened its bid to finish second in the automatic Champions League spot as it now holds a six-point lead over Rennes and Strasbourg. Alsace-side Strasbourg beat Rennes 2-1 at home.
Mbappe’s league-leading 22 goals puts him two ahead of Rennes forward Martin Terrier, who equalized for Rennes before imposing striker Ludovic Ajorque grabbed Strasbourg’s winner as coach Julien Stephan defeated the club where he made his name.
Rennes stays third in the Champions League playoff place on goal difference ahead of fourth-place Strasbourg and fifth-place Monaco, which beat Nice 1-0 at home to leapfrog its local rival.
PSG's Marquinhos waves to supporters prior to the League One soccer match between Angers and Paris Saint Germain, at the Raymond-Kopa stadium in Angers, western France, Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (AP PhotoJeremias Gonzalez)
At Stade Velodrome, Marseille fell behind midway through the first half when Brazilian midfielder Andrei Girotto was set up by midfielder Wylan Cyprien.
Payet equalized in the 39th but Marcus Coco restored the lead two minutes later for French Cup finalist Nantes.
Payet’s second penalty in the 55th made it 12 league goals for the former France playmaker, seven of them from the spot.
CHASE FOR EUROPE
Monaco is right back in contention for third place, with Russia midfielder Aleksandr Golovin netting in first-half injury time following a cross from Brazilian Vanderson.
Match jerseys were to be auctioned to raise money for Ukrainians fleeing their country following Russia’s invasion.
Monaco is two points ahead of Nice and three ahead of seventh-place Lens, which beat Montpellier 2-0 at home to stay in the hunt for European places.
Eighth-place Lyon lost 2-1 at Brest and defending champion Lille was beaten 2-1 at Reims, which scored an injury-time winner through captain Yunis Abdelhamid.
Lille sits in ninth, one point behind seven-time champion Lyon.
RELEGATION SCRAP
Guinea striker Mohamed Bayo pounced in the 88th minute as Clermont won 1-0 at fellow struggler Troyes to move up to 17th place.
Saint-Etienne dropped to 18th — the relegation-promotion playoff position — after drawing 2-2 at 19th-place Bordeaux.
Six-time champion Bordeaux, which has conceded a league-high 79 goals, went 2-0 up inside 22 minutes through 19-year-old forward Sekou Mara and midfielder Jean Onana.
Goals from Denis Bouanga and fellow forward Arnaud Nordin earned Saint-Etienne a draw that kept it four points clear of Bordeaux.
Rock-bottom Metz edged closer to relegation after losing 1-0 at Lorient, which improved to 15th thanks to Dango Outarra’s winner deep into injury time.
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