PSG secured a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League after destroying Chelsea across two legs, but they’re under pressure to retain their Ligue 1 title after RC Lens moved back to the summit with a 5-1 victory over Angers on Friday.
In an action-packed start to the match, PSG fashioned their first clear-cut opportunity in the 12th minute when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s left-footed strike was superbly stopped by Yehvann Diouf, before he saw an almost identical chance get deflected just wide of the post moments later.
Diouf’s goal continued to get peppered by shots, and the goalkeeper was forced into tipping Ilya Zabarnyi’s header over the bar at the half’s midway point.
Determined to keep the visitors at bay and pull off an upset, meanwhile, Nice continued to carry a threat on the counter-attack, and had two chances in quick succession.
Veteran centre-back Dante saw his header sail just wide of the post, while Elye Wahi had the goal at his mercy but failed to connect with a cross.
However, just when it looked like the game would go into the break goalless, VAR awarded PSG a penalty after Desire Doué’s half volley struck Morgan Sanson’s hand, with Nuno Mendes nestling his spot-kick into the bottom right corner.
That goal arrived after Juma Bah stopped a certain goal by instinctively diverting Kvaratskhelia’s shot over the bar.
The half-time break offered the hosts a chance to regroup and decipher a comeback plan, but Nice’s hopes of winning a first league match since January were soon ended by PSG shortly after the restart.
Mendes drove powerfully into the box after playing a one-two with Kvaratskhelia, and he put the ball on a plate for Doue, who rifled his shot into the net.
Nice’s night quickly went from bad to worse when Youssouf Ndayishimiye was sent off on the hour mark for a contentious challenge on Lee Kang-in, with the visitors almost scoring a third moments later.
Doué was found in acres of space by Mendes with a superb through ball, but he struck his left-footed effort straight at Diouf.
PSG spent the rest of the game camped in Nice’s half, and they put the icing on the cake with two late goals.
Dro Fernandez converted his first senior goal for the club by clinically slotting his chance past Diouf, and then Warren Zaire-Emery tapped into an empty net after a lucky rebound fell at his feet.
Three points for PSG means they’ve scored more away goals than any other team in Ligue 1 (27). Defeat for Nice, meanwhile, leaves them in 15th position after their winless league run stretched to seven matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)