Despite a double from Kylian Mbappe and an outstanding performance, Paris Saint-Germain lost their first game in Ligue 1. Terem Moffi scored twice as Nice triumphed 3-2 at Parc des Princes on Friday.
Less than halfway through the first half, Moffi scored after Mbappe made a costly error, giving PSG the lead.
The France striker made amends at the halfway point, but eight minutes after the interval, Gaetan Laborde gave Nice the lead again and Moffi added another, beating the beaten hosts.
Although Nice held on, Mbappe’s volleyed goal gave the defending French champions hope.
With three points, Luis Enrique’s PSG would have overtaken Monaco at the top of the standings, but instead they dropped to third place with eight points after five games, one point behind unbeaten Nice.
After suffering his first defeat as PSG coach, Luis Enrique claimed, “They were fresher than us throughout the entire match.”
“Obviously, losing hurts, but we must all get better, including myself. But I liked the way we were thinking.
Two of the three goals involved deflections. Nice played excellent football, but I’m not concerned since I witnessed the fans rally behind their team even after they fell behind by two goals.
Nice, supported by British millionaire Jim Ratcliffe, is seeking to improve on their poor performance from the previous year, when they could only manage to place ninth in Ligue 1.
Francesco Farioli, the Nice coach, stated that “everything must be perfect to get a result here, the opponents must not be at their level, and we must give a complete performance.”
“I saw a team of warriors, above and beyond the tactical elements.”
Verratti farewell
Before the game began, Marco Verratti said the Parc des Princes farewell after leaving PSG after 11 years to join the Qatari club Al-Arabi.
Verratti was given permission to take a lap of honour around the field while messages from former teammates, including as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, were shown on the big screen.
The Italian midfielder made 416 games for PSG, winning six French Cups and nine Ligue 1 championships, but he was unable to lead the team to its first Champions League victory.
PSG played themselves into difficulties at the back in the 21st minute, and Nice shocked everyone by taking the lead.
The ball rebounded pleasantly for Moffi, whose effort got a significant deflection off Milan Skriniar and flew into the net. Mbappe dropped deep inside his own half to take possession but promptly gave it up in a dangerous spot.
When PSG custodian Gianluigi Donnarumma brilliantly blocked Khephren Thuram’s attempt, the visitors came close to doubling their lead.
Mbappe made a difference at the right end of the pitch, scoring his sixth league goal in four appearances this season by blasting a strong shot through Nice custodian Marcin Bulka’s feeble effort at a stop.
Jordan Lotomba missed a fantastic opportunity with the last kick of the first half, almost costing PSG the lead as they began to dominate.
However, Nice did regain the lead in the 53rd minute when Moffi set up Laborde for a shot past Donnarumma.
With 21 minutes remaining, Moffi all but put an end to the game as a battle as Paris continued to give away chances at the back.
The Nigerian striker took his time before caressing a low finish from outside the box into the bottom corner as the PSG defence retreated.
After excellent work from debutant replacement Randal Kolo Muani, Mbappe acrobatically volleyed into the far corner, but Nice handled the final few seconds with remarkable ease.
Prior to their Tuesday matchup against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stage, PSG will now need to improve.