On September 15th, Terem Moffi, the skilled forward for Nice, dazzled with an impressive performance, bagging two goals and providing an assist. This outstanding display led his team to an exhilarating 3-2 triumph over Paris St Germain in Ligue 1, marking PSG\’s inaugural loss of the season.
Paris St Germain had an opportunity to temporarily seize the top spot in the standings with a victory, but they tumbled to third place with eight points. They now trail Nice, occupying the second spot, by a single point. Nice remains undefeated in the 2023-24 campaign. AS Monaco, the current league leaders, sit two points ahead of PSG and are scheduled to face Lorient on Sunday.
Coach Luis Enrique shared his thoughts on the match, commenting that Nice presented a formidable challenge with an attractive game plan. He believed that Nice outperformed PSG physically and effectively capitalized on counterattack opportunities.
In the first half, PSG initially seemed in control, with Ousmane Dembele coming close to scoring early. However, he was thwarted by Nice\’s goalkeeper, Marcin Bulka, shortly after Kylian Mbappe was blocked inside the penalty area.
The game took a dramatic turn when Terem Moffi put Nice ahead in the 21st minute with a precise low shot inside the near post. However, the visitors\’ lead was short-lived, as Mbappe unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box, and despite Bulka\’s efforts to stop it, PSG leveled the score just before the half-hour mark.
PSG regained momentum and had an opportunity to take the lead before halftime when Dembele delivered a pass across the goal, but Mbappe couldn\’t quite convert it into the net with a sliding tackle.
Instead, in the second half, Nice\’s Gaetan Laborde restored the lead for his team, scoring from close range and capitalizing on an exceptional ball control and a precise pass from a difficult angle by Moffi.
Gianluigi Donnarumma prevented PSG from conceding a third goal with a crucial save from close range when Sofiane Diop attempted a shot. Nevertheless, PSG\’s defense was caught off guard as Moffi cleverly outwitted them, scoring a low shot in the 68th minute to make it 3-1.
Mbappe reignited PSG\’s hopes with a goal three minutes from the final whistle. His shot bounced off the ground before finding the back of the net inside the far post.
In stoppage time, PSG made desperate attempts to breach Nice\’s defense but lacked the time and precision needed to salvage a draw.
Randal Kolo Muani, a substitute for PSG, acknowledged Nice\’s outstanding performance, stating, \”It was an impressive Nice team we faced. They maintained composure, adhered to their style of football, and consistently found the back of the net.\”
Remarkably, PSG had not suffered a defeat in any of their previous 13 home matches against Nice in all competitions. Meanwhile, Nice stands among the four teams in the top-flight who maintain an undefeated record this season, alongside Rennes, Olympique de Marseille, and Monaco.