Invincible at the start of this season, PSG appears to be an insurmountable mountain for the Niçoises. More impressive than Ancelotti’s team, this version of Paris shows no signs of slowing down. Nice, reeling from two consecutive defeats, sets out with modest ambitions but with the sweet dream of troubling the Parisian galaxy. With nothing to lose…
A significant match in Nice’s season, this PSG-Nice encounter is always a unique contest on the sporting level. Surpassing the competition, the championship’s true passing machine (800 passes per match on average) and defense wrecker (24 goals scored), Paris seems more impressive than their Monégasque rival.
Benefiting from a large squad, PSG can afford the luxury of rotating regularly without any impact on their gameplay and results. No team in France has the firepower of Laurent Blanc’s squad. A concerning observation for OGC Nice, seeking points after their home defeat against Bordeaux. Without their international Colombian goalkeeper, David Ospina, replaced by the young Veronese, Nice must first and foremost regain a spirit of solidarity lost over several matches. To achieve this, there are various ways to play against Paris SG. Affected by high and aggressive pressing, Paris tends to play poorly, caught off guard by their opponent’s mindset. An ideal scenario for Nice, provided everyone works hard to defend with all their might. The only problem is that they might not physically sustain it throughout the whole match, leading, by the same token, to a decrease in performance, often fatal against the Parisians. Saint-Etienne, albeit reduced to 10, fell victim to this towards the end of the match against PSG. The result, 2 goals conceded late in the game (final score 2-2).
The alternative is to defend the whole match while huddled in their own half. Counter-attacks then become the only way to challenge the Parisian defense. Ajaccio, with maximum success, managed to walk away with a draw from the Parc des Princes with their only shot of the match while conceding 37 Parisian shots (final score: 1-1). Ajaccian goalkeeper Ochoa was heroic in that game. Veronese thus knows what he needs to do to shine among professionals. More seriously, Nice has a major advantage: the lack of pressure and their outsider status. In case of defeat, logic will be respected, and no one will hold it against Claude Puel’s players. The key is to give it all in front of millions of viewers.
