Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to score the winning goal as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Nice 2-1 on Saturday to recapture the lead in Ligue 1. French international Mbappe was left out of the grid with one eye by coach Christophe Galtier during Wednesday’s Champions League game in Benfica. That is one of the eleven games that the French champions play in the six weeks leading up to the World Cup. Mbappe was replaced by 20-year-old Hugo Ekikike, who made his first start for PSG but struggled to impress.
However, it was fellow superstar Lionel Messi who caught the eye as he gave PSG a 29th-minute lead with a lush, curly free kick from the edge of the box that sailed over the wall of Nice and past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
“I’m incredibly lucky to see him in training every morning,” said Galtier.
It was Messi’s 60th free kick goal, but first in a PSG shirt.
“We are not playing less well than we were, but our opponents are starting to know us,” PSG defender Marquinhos said after a disjointed performance by the champions.
“We’re not going to play an exceptional game every time or win 5-0. It’s important to know how with a goal at the end, like tonight, you can win 1-0 or 2-1.
“It was complicated in the first half, we couldn’t find space to create chances. Nice blocked us, but a great free kick from Leo Messi cleared the situation.”
Gaetan Laborde equalized for Nice, who have been coached by Galtier until this season, in the 47th minute after PSG got into a terrible defensive muddle.
Mbappe was called off the bench at the hour to hit the winner with seven minutes to go after Nice tried to play the ball out of defence.
The goal was Mbappe’s eighth of the league season and put him on a level with teammate Neymar at the top of the scoresheets.
“You play the best game of your season, but at the end you lose,” Nice coach Lucien Favre said after his team’s fifth Ligue 1 loss of the season.
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“We played a good game, so it’s disappointing and cruel. We didn’t give PSG many chances to score. They didn’t have many chances.”
PSG have a two-point lead over Marseille, who defeated Angers 3-0 on Friday.
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