PSG Player Ratings vs OGC Nice: 8/10 for Messi; Neymar, Ruiz struggle to a 4

Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to ensure that PSG secured all three points at home against OGC Nice on Saturday night.

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain kept their winning run in Ligue 1 going with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over OGC Nice at the Parc des Princes on Saturday night.

Christophe Galtier’s side started the game without several first-team players courtesy of suspensions and fatigue and took some time to get going. A largely quiet first half sprang to life when Lionel Messi put the home side ahead in the 28th minute. The Argentine’s free-kick was the highlight of the game at the break as PSG went into half-time with a one-goal advantage.

They were sluggish in the second half and paid the price dearly thanks to a 47th-minute strike from Gaetan Laborde. The Nice striker was left unmarked at the far post and made no mistake as the cross from Youcef Atal fell to him after evading both Sergio Ramos and Nordi Mukiele.

PSG rang the changes around the hour mark, bringing on Kylian Mbappe for the ineffective Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman duly obliged, scoring what turned out to be the winner in the 83rd minute. The win leaves PSG with 25 points from nine games, the third time that they have achieved this feat in the three points for a win era. The Hard Tackle looks at how the PSG players fared on the night.

Gianluigi Donnarumma: 5/10 

A sub-par outing from the Italian shot-stopper who failed to show enough authority and leadership in organising his backline. He failed to read the danger ahead of Nice’s equaliser and was left with egg on his face when Laborde equalised. Donnarumma had to face just one shot on target all game but failed to keep it out.

Nordi Mukiele: 6/10

The summer signing took his spot in the starting XI for the injured Presnel Kimpembe and did well down the right-hand side. He supported Achraf Hakimi going forward and covered for his teammate in defence as well. Mukiele was caught out in the build-up to Nice’s equaliser but made amends by providing the assist for Mbappe’s game-winner.

Marquinhos 6/10 

The Brazilian was largely comfortable on the night and had little to do. He was, however, collectively responsible for the defensive lapse that led to Nice’s leveller. Thankfully for PSG, that turned out to be Marquinhos’s lone error of the night.

Sergio Ramos: 6/10 

The Spanish veteran was largely comfortable despite Nice choosing to target him. His lack of pace did give the visitors an outlet, but Ramos used his wealth of experience to plug any gap. He, too, was guilty of poor judgement in the lead-up to Laborde’s goal.

Achraf Hakimi: 6/10

The right-back got forward at will, and his runs opened up space for Lionel Mesi to exploit. But Hakimi, despite his intent to push forward, lacked the cutting edge in the final third and failed to make the most of it. He was also rather open defensively, but Nice, fortunately for him, failed to exploit it.

Vitinha: 6/10

With Marco Verratti absent, the summer signing chose to adopt a safety first approach on the night. Vitinha kept things simple and often chose to play the safer pass than make an adventurous one. He did distribute the ball well, setting the tone of the game in what was a drab match.

Fabian Ruiz: 4/10

The Spaniard had a tough task replicating Verratti’s role and came up very short. He did not actively demand the ball and made life difficult for Vitinha on the night. His lack of initiative saw Lionel Messi and Neymar drop deep to retrieve possession, leaving Ekitike isolated upfront.

Juan Bernat: 6/10 

The Spaniard started ahead of Nuno Mendes but did not quite leave a lasting impression. Bernat largely played with a foot in the opposition half and offered good width down the left. He did not, however, make any standout plays and failed to drive home the initiative. 

Lionel Messi: 8/10

The Argentinian legend was the lone bright spark in a game that lacked inspiration. He broke the deadlock with a brilliant free-kick in the first half and was more often than not PSG’s most threatening player. Messi has been anything if not consistent this season and does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

Neymar: 4/10 

The Brazilian was out of sorts on the night and delivered arguably his worst performance of the season in a PSG jersey. Neymar looked to amplify the intensity with his neat footwork and attacking impetus but neither came off. He would have been better off keeping things simple rather than trying to have a go at every single opportunity. It was a rather poor outing from a player who won the Ligue 1 Player of the Month award on the night. 

Hugo Ekitike: 5/10 

The youngster was given a golden opportunity to show off his credentials and had a few moments of brilliance. However, Ekitike was largely isolated up front and is yet to strike a chord with Neymar and Messi. He was taken off in the 59th minute but will have learned a lot in his cameo.

SUBSTITUTES

Kylian Mbappe: 7/10

The French international replaced Ekitike in the 59th minute and added more bite to the PSG attack. Mbappe took his goal well and ensured that the home side came away with all three points.

Nuno Mendes: 5/10

Mendes replaced Bernat before the hour mark but was hardly an improvement over the Spaniard. He failed to show his usual hunger and was a passenger in the game.

Renato Sanches: N/A

The Portuguese international replaced the ineffective Ruiz in the 72nd minute and lasted just 16 minutes before being taken off with an injury. 

Pablo Sarabia: N/A

Sarabia replaced Messi in the 88th minute but had little time to make an impact.

Danilo Pereira: N/A

He came on for the injured Sanches in the 88th minute.