PSG crush 10-man Nice to return to summit of Ligue 1

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]PSG[/a] secured a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] in the UEFA Champions League after destroying [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] across two legs, but they’re under pressure to retain their Ligue 1 title after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lens/IBmris38/"]RC Lens[/a] moved back to the summit with a 5-1 victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/angers/SAlF91iL/"]Angers[/a] on Friday.[/p][p]In an action-packed start to the match, PSG fashioned their first clear-cut opportunity in the 12th minute when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvaratskhelia-khvicha/bNuGt0hE/"]Khvicha Kvaratskhelia[/a]’s left-footed strike was superbly stopped by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/diouf-yehvann/xCg7OFVE/"]Yehvann Diouf[/a], before he saw an almost identical chance get deflected just wide of the post moments later.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="95744a70-45d3-4cdc-b0c5-03a0a64fbbf6" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="556d4449-ce65-48ef-b5f4-326a5de20116" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Diouf’s goal continued to get peppered by shots, and the goalkeeper was forced into tipping [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zabarnyi-illia/8SehvaqF/"]Ilya Zabarnyi[/a]’s header over the bar at the half’s midway point. [/p][p]Determined to keep the visitors at bay and pull off an upset, meanwhile, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nice/YagoQJpq/"]Nice[/a] continued to carry a threat on the counter-attack, and had two chances in quick succession.[/p][p]Veteran centre-back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dante/nNPcDNFr/"]Dante[/a] saw his header sail just wide of the post, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wahi-sepe-elye/8jdHWf50/"]Elye Wahi[/a] had the goal at his mercy but failed to connect with a cross.[/p][p][b]However, just when it looked like the game would go into the break goalless, VAR awarded PSG a penalty after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doue-desire/KIUWH2Jq/"]Desire Doué[/a]’s half volley struck [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanson-morgan/n5LaWeHr/"]Morgan Sanson[/a]’s hand, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendes-nuno/ne2xCTJj/"]Nuno Mendes[/a] nestling his spot-kick into the bottom right corner.[/b][/p][embed guid="22a2d36c-eb9f-483b-8d9a-1e0c40e53132" url="https://x.com/Ligue1_ENG/status/2035470829346079046" social-type="twitter" /][p]That goal arrived after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/juma-bah-abdulay/ChoMhLBQ/"]Juma Bah[/a] stopped a certain goal by instinctively diverting Kvaratskhelia’s shot over the bar.[/p][p]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.[/p][p][b]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.[/b][/p][embed guid="a300b87b-c386-4d27-b1f6-d07e1c8b2741" url="https://x.com/Ligue1_ENG/status/2035468113467040117" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Nice’s night quickly went from bad to worse when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ndayishimiye-youssouf/6acylKhj/"]Youssouf Ndayishimiye[/a] was sent off on the hour mark for a contentious challenge on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lee-kangin/YTVIJfxO/"]Lee Kang-in[/a], with the visitors almost scoring a third moments later. [/b][/p][p]Doué was found in acres of space by Mendes with a superb through ball, but he struck his left-footed effort straight at Diouf. [/p][p]PSG spent the rest of the game camped in Nice’s half, and they put the icing on the cake with two late goals.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-pedro/21vHgloE/"]Dro Fernandez[/a] converted his first senior goal for the club by clinically slotting his chance past Diouf, and then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zaire-emery-warren/neJeseDL/"]Warren Zaire-Emery[/a] tapped into an empty net after a lucky rebound fell at his feet.[/b][/p][embed guid="5891de63-ed84-4b02-b26b-f56594ad82c9" url="https://x.com/Ligue1_ENG/status/2035478456847184246" social-type="twitter" /][p]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. [/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendes-nuno/ne2xCTJj/"]Nuno Mendes[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/nice-YagoQJpq/psg-CjhkPw0k/?mid=SIbufklC"]Check out all the stats from the match here[/a][/b][/p]