PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappe scored a winning goal as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain beat Nice 2-1 Saturday to repair its two-point lead over Marseille in the French league on Saturday.
Mbappe took advantage of a pass from Nordi Mukiele to beat Kasper Schmeichel with a low shot in the 83rd minute. The French striker equalled Neymar as the league’s most sensible scorer with eight.
Lionel Messi gave PSG the lead at 29 with a free kick curled into the skylight from 22 yards. -19 fight.
Gaétan Laborde equalised from close range just after half-time after PSG’s defence failed to clear a Youcef Atal cross.
“We started the moment with no energy, no pace and no intensity, and we let Nice have more possession,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier said. how we deserved to have done it. Nice drew quite logically. Therefore, it was mandatory to inject more energy, more speed and more verticality.
Messi shined for Argentina in the foreign break scoring twice against Honduras and twice against Jamaica, and may have added a goal for the moment on the half-time edge with a hard shot that Schmeichel brought down over the crossbar.
PSG needed Messi’s brilliance as striker Hugo Ekitike, who was given his first start this season, proved to be toothless and did not run the defence as Mbachpe does.
Nice pressed up on the pitch to prevent PSG from creating chances. This defensive strategy worked until the 27th, when Messi dribbled, beat Mario Lemina before facing Dante, who made a trip to the Argentine midfielder and conceded the free kick that caused the goal. first objective.
Ahead of a key Champions League match at Benfica next week, PSG rested Mbappe and Nuno Mendes until both left the bench at mid-time.
In addition, Rennes began to freeze after an asymmetrical start to the season, climbing to fifth position after beating Strasbourg 10 3-1.
Strasbourg defender Gerzino Nyamsi was sent off for planting his cleats on Benjamin Bourigeaud’s thigh with his follow-up after clearing the ball at 28. It wasn’t long after veteran striker Kevin Gameiro denied a goal for offside.
Arnaud Kalimuendo took credit in the 38th by controlling a cross from Adrien Truffert to finish through the corner window. Rennes doubled the ante with a Martin Terrier shot in the 49th. Kalimuendo served for Amine Gouiri’s 3rd goal in the 61st.
“We’re getting back to the pace of last season’s finale,” Terrier said. “There were new recruits, it’s time to settle in. “
Rennes recruited cell forwards Kalimuendo from Paris Saint-Germain and Gouiri from Nice this summer to update the departure of Gaetan Laborde, a more central striker.
Strasbourg scored a comfort goal from a Habib Diallo penalty in the 72nd after Rennes right-back Hamari Traoré knocked out Gameiro. They remained in the relegation zone and the team winless in the league.
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