Paris Saint-Germain dropped points at home for the first time this season in a 0-0 draw with Nice in Ligue 1 on Wednesday as the high-powered attack led by newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi went blank . (more football news)
Nice goalkeeper Walter Benitez crossed Kylian Mbappe's low strike in the 27th minute and denied Angel Di Maria in the 51st minute. PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was less busy, but still had to push past Andy Delorte's close-range header in the 32nd to help maintain a 12-point lead above the standings.
PSG won every previous home game in all competitions this season and were on a four-game winning streak in the league.
"We are very proud of our performance," said Nice defender Dante. “We wanted to attack a little bit more, when we had the ball we wanted to control possession a little more. But I think the whole team put in a lot of effort. And that's what we had to rediscover."
Ahead of kickoff, Messi showed spectators a record seventh Ballon d'Or trophy, which he won as the world's top player on Monday. But PSG missed his injured attacking partner Neymar as the team lacked presence in the box, with Mbappe often playing on the left wing in Brazil's absence.
Nice should have scored in the 59th but Kasper Dolberg hit the post with a header from two yards. Messi then hit a through ball to Mbappe, who missed the target from 10 yards in the 64th.
Marseille beat Nantes 1–0 to take second place when Brazilian midfielder Gerson controlled a pass from Dimitri Payet and slammed the ball into the bottom corner in the 30th. Nantes defender Nicolas Pallois was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the 32nd.
Rennes dropped to third after a 2–1 loss to defending champions Lille. Portugal pair Renato Sanches and Zeka scored for Lille in the first half. Rennes midfielder Benjamin Bourigaud scored a consolation goal in the 85th.
Reims thrashed Lyon 2–1 in mid-table as substitute Hugo Akitaike scored the winner in the third minute of stoppage time to capitalize on a mistake from Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.
Lyon hosted Reims without spectators after the league sanctioned the club for events at the Gruppa Stadium on 21 November, when Dimitri Pete was hit on the head by a water bottle thrown from the stands in a game that abandoned had gone.
Mohamed Bayo saved a point for struggling Clermont with a 65th-minute draw and a 2–2 draw with a fifth-place lens pushed the club out of the relegation zone.
Germany international Kevin Woland helped Monaco beat Angers 3–1 to finish seventh and installed Dutch striker Myron Bodeau on 25th and Sofien Diop in 45th.
Angers pulled back once in the 55th when Azzadine Onahi's low drive pushed goalkeeper Alexander Nubel further into the net, but Axel DiCassie restored Monaco's two-goal lead with a close-range effort in the 73rd. Gave.
Strasbourg climbed to sixth place on points with Monaco after beating Bordeaux 5–2. Ludovic Ajörk scored twice this season to score eight goals, while Adrian Thomasson, Kevin Gameiro and Dimitri Leonard also netted for the hosts.
Montpellier quickly moved to the top of the table after beating Metz 3–1 with goals from Savanier, Steffi Mavididi and teenage striker Eli Wahi.
Brest won the fifth straight game after beating Saint-Etienne 1–0 at bottom, thanks to a spot-kick from Romain Favre in the 64th after Saint-Etienne midfielder Lucas Gourna handled the ball.
Troyes broke a three-game losing streak by beating Lorient 2–0 and went three points above the relegation zone, with goals from Renaud Ripart and Mali international Romnig Koume.a