Nice 1-0 PSG: 5 talking points as Delort winner takes hosts to second place | Ligue 1 2021-22

PSG suffered their second loss in three Ligue 1 games as Nice left it late to secure a 1-0 win over the league leaders. Second-half substitute Andy Delort produced a fine finish with two minutes of regulation time remaining.

The hosts dominated the game and looked the better side from the get-go. They tested the Parisians' defence with just six minutes on the clock, with Amine Gouiri's shot sailing past the far post.

The visitors displayed the same defensive frailty they showed in their 3-1 loss at Nantes. However, the hosts' shortcomings in front of goal spared the Parisians' blushes. Neymar looked solid, contributing in defence and setting up a few chances on the counter, but PSG lacked the final touch in the attacking third.

On that note, here's a look at the five talking points from the game:

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#5 PSG and Nice play out another tight game this season

PSG failed to beat Nice this season

PSG and Nice played out two close games this season before their league meeting on Sunday.

The reverse fixture at the Parc des Princes ended goalless. Their French Cup meeting in the knockout stage last month also ended goalless before the Eagles progressed into the next round on penalties. Nice will face Nantes in the title decider in May.

Coming to their latest meeting on Saturday, another draw looked likely before Delort delivered the decisive blow at death. It was the first goal scored in regulation time in three games between the two teams this season. In the process, Nice recorded their first win against the Parisians since 2017, without considering shootout victories.

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#4 PSG struggle in Kylian Mbappe's absence

Kylian Mbappe (centre) was suspended for the game.

Kylian Mbappe was suspended for the game against Nice, and his absence in the final third was acurely felt by the capital club. The Frenchman is the club's top scorer with 14 league goals, and also has ten assists to his name.

He provides a dynamic presence in the box, and his timely runs and link-up play are crucial for PSG. Although Mauricio Pochettino fielded Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Angel Di Maria in the starting XI, they are all more of creators than finishers.

As this heatmap from Whoscored shows, the visitors hardly had any presence inside the Nice box. Messi failed to impress in a false nine role with no player to pass to as the Parisians only recorded two shots on target in the game.

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#3 Nice regain form as they look for second-place finish

Nice are unbeaten in their last three league outings.

Nice have bounced back well from their back-to-back losses in the league in February. They are now unbeaten in their last three league games, keeping a clean sheet in all of them.

Across all competitions, their unbeaten run stretches to four games and no goals conceded, with the win over PSG on Saturday being the cherry on top.

Nice boast the meanest defence in the league (21 goals conceded). With only league fixtures left to play till May, they should be able to focus on cementing an automatic UEFA Champions League spot.

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#2 PSG suffer consecutive away losses

PSG have suffered two losses in two weeks.

The visiting side put in yet another unconvincing display in the league as they struggled to find a way past a well-drilled Nice defence. It was the Parisians' second defeat in as many away games. That made it their second league loss in as many weeks after going unbeaten in the league since October.

PSG rested a few key players for this game, with the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg at Real Madrid in midweek in mind. That might've hurt their chances against Nice.

As was seen in the game against Nantes, the Parisians struggled to create chances from open play. They were exposed quite often defensively, and relied heavily on Marco Verratti in midfield.

All three of PSG's league defeats have come on the road this season. However, they are still expected to canter to the Ligue 1 title, leading Nice by 13 points with 11 games left.

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#1 Lionel Messi has an anonymous outing

Lionel Messi has scored just one goal in 2022.

Lionel Messi has taken up a goal-creator role since joining PSG, having picked up 11 assists in the league so far. However, he failed to make an impact against Nice, as the Parisians missed a target man like Mbappe to make the most of Messi's playmaking.

The Argentine has scored just one goal this year. While he has five assists in his last six games across competitions, he failed to make an impact against Nice on the night.

Despite starting as a false nine, his heatmap showed that he spent more time closer to the kick-off line than the opposition box. Messi generated just one key pass throughout the game. So it remains to be seen how he fares against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Parisians have a 1-0 first-leg lead