PLAYER RATINGS | OGC Nice 1-1 PSG: Luis Enrique’s men held as Monaco remain top of Ligue 1 | OneFootball

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Round 7, 06/10/24

Paris Saint-Germain were held to a draw (1-1) by OGC Nice on Sunday night, allowing AS Monaco to remain top of Ligue 1 after they beat Stade Rennais the previous night.

The Match

Nice, and Evann Guessand in particular, began the game brightly and on the front foot. Twice in the first five minutes, he burst down the right and flashed a ball across the face of the goal. No-one was there on either occasion, although Mohamed-Ali Cho was close to getting a flick on the second. It was Cho who then almost gave Le Gym the lead but his header from six yards was well saved by a sprawling Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Nice looked to have missed their chance but PSG were completey lacking in intensity. Bradley Barcola had a half chance but his weak flick past Marcin Bulka was easily saved by the recovering Youssouf Ndayishimiye. Les Aiglons then took the lead before the break. It came through an unexpected source – Ali Abdi.

The wing-back, signed as a “joker” transfer following the closure of the transfer window, half-volleyed in. His shot took an important deflection of Nuno Mendes, which took it past Donnarumma. The Portuguese defender atoned for his error early in the second half.

It was a different version of PSG that emerged from the dressing room for the second half and one without Randal Kolo Muani. They were much improved with Lee Kang-in’s presence through the middle and they levelled through Mendes, whose half-volley went in in much the same was as Ali Abdi’s in the first half. This time, it was Moïse Bombito with the unfortunate deflection.

Nice then had to survive a barrage. Marquinhos hit the post minutes after the equaliser, whilst Bradley Barcola, kept quiet on the night, forced Bulka into a save. The Polish goalkeeper was forced into a series of standard saves before the final whistle, whilst Marquinhos almost turned a Jonathan Clauss shot into his own goal, however, neither side could find a winner. The draw sees Monaco go two poins clear of PSG at the top of Ligue 1.

OGC Nice player ratings

Marcin Bulka – 6

A mixed bag for Bulka, who made multiple strong saves but who was uncharacteristically nervy and clumsy with the ball at his feet.

Dante – 5

Youssouf Ndayishimiye – 5

Moïse Bombito – 7

A really key performer for Nice. He was a presence within his own box, helping Le Gym clear their lines on multiple occasions, whilst he also used his pace to make key recoveries, most notably on Barcola midway through the second-half. He celebrated that one like he had scored a goal.

Ali Abdi – 6

Tanguy Ndombélé – 7

This is a version of Ndombélé that Tottenham never saw. The Frenchman was eye-catching in possession, but what stood out more was his work in recovering the ball for Nice. He won eight out of his 11 duels and made two interceptions. He was often the instigator for Les Aiglons in transition. Another accomplished, composed and effective performance in the midfield.

Hicham Boudaoui – 5

Jonathan Clauss – 6

Jérémie Boga – 5

Evann Guessand – 4

A mixed night for the academy product, who was important for Nice in holding the ball up and feeding the ball in behind. However, his touch too often deceived him, oftentimes in dangerous transitional situations from which Nice looked primed to profit.

Mohame Ali-Cho – 6

PSG player ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 5

Nuno Mendes – 6

Willian Pacho – 6

Marquinhos – 5

Achraf Hakimi – 4

Fabián Ruiz – 6

The Spaniard constantly found pockets of space, even if he wasn’t often found, particularly in the first-half, but his ability to work neatly in tight areas was key for PSG as they ramped up the pressure early in the second half.

João Neves – 4

Warren Zaïre-Emery – 4

Bradley Barcola – 5

The Frenchman was kept quiet by Nice’s defence. He had one strong trademark burst into the box but could not beat BUlka. A clean performance but not an impactful one.

Randal Kolo Muani – 2

Replaced by Lee Kang-in (6) at half-time after another phantom-like performance up-front. The France international once again failed to take his chance, struggling to get into the gamee, and when he did, he showed his rustiness with looe touches and stray passes. The difference between Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in was night and day, with the latter allowing for better circulationf of the ball and helping PSG sustain periods of pressure in the final third.

Ousmane Dembélé – 5

GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice