Paris Saint-Germain faced a setback in their pursuit of the Ligue 1 top spot, settling for a 1-1 draw against Nice on Sunday. This result allows Monaco to maintain a clear lead going into the October international break.
Nice took a 1-0 lead at halftime with a deflected shot from Tunisian international full-back Ali Abdi.
PSG showcased a stronger performance in the second half after coach Luis Enrique substituted Randal Kolo Muani for Lee Kang-in. The equalizer came from Nuno Mendes in the 52nd minute, who scored with a shot from outside the box, assisted by Ousmane Dembele.
Dembele made a notable return after being unexpectedly dropped in the midweek Champions League defeat against Arsenal, consistently testing Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka. PSG had opportunities to secure the win, including a close header from Marquinhos that struck the post.
With only one win in their last four matches across all competitions, PSG now sits in second place in Ligue 1, trailing Monaco by two points.
A victory against Nice would have allowed PSG to start the weekend at the top of the standings, benefiting from goal difference over Monaco.
Coach Luis Enrique expressed pride in his team’s second-half performance, stating, “I think it has been a promising start. I like what I am seeing. It is much better than our start to last season, but the goal is to win the league and compete at all levels.” He refrained from criticizing Kolo Muani, emphasizing that he could have made multiple changes at halftime.
Monaco extended their lead at the summit by winning 2-1 against Rennes, with goals from Thilo Kehrer and Folarin Balogun.
– Lyon’s Surge Continues –
Marseille, held to a 1-1 draw by bottom club Angers, finds themselves five points off the leaders, while Reims is fourth on goal difference after a 4-2 victory over Montpellier, with goals from Marshall Munetsi, Keito Nakamura, and Oumar Diakite.
Brest followed their 4-0 Champions League victory over Red Bull Salzburg with a 2-0 win against Le Havre in Brittany, marked by goals from Ludovic Ajorque and Ibrahim Salah.
Strasbourg managed a 2-2 draw at home against unbeaten Lens, with M’Bala Nzola and Andy Diouf scoring for Lens, while Habib Diarra netted a penalty to secure a point for Strasbourg.
Lyon achieved their fourth consecutive victory across all competitions by defeating Nantes 2-0, with Nicolas Tagliafico and an own goal from Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois sealing the win. After a slow start with only one victory in five matches, Lyon has climbed to eighth place in the standings.
