Your move AS Monaco. Paris Saint-Germain pulled level on points with the league leaders and OGC Nice at the top of the table with a 1-0 win over AS Nancy Lorraine at the Parc des Princes on Saturday. It was far from inspiring but Edinson Cavani’s late penalty could prove vital for PSG in their chase for another Ligue 1 title.
With a trip to the Camp Nou just days away, this was very much a trap game and PSG nearly fell for it. Unai Emery was in the difficult position of wanting to give key players a rest before the FC Barcelona match on Wednesday but knew anything less than a win against Nancy would likely cost them a chance at a fifth consecutive league title.
I thought the former Sevilla FC manager did a brilliant job in blending youth with experience. Gonçalo Guedes played alongside Cavani up front and Presnel Kimpembe paired with Thiago Silva in the back. One surprise inclusion in the midfield was Grzegorz Krychowiak. The Poland international made only his seventh start for Paris this season but unfortunately his performance was so poor he was subbed off at halftime for Blaise Matuidi.
Heading into the match, all supporters wanted were no injuries and three points. Emery and his squad delivered on both fronts–albeit barely. Pablo Correa’s team were well organized and frustrated PSG for 80 minutes when Serge Aurier was graciously awarded a penalty after he was “taken down in the box.” If not for that call, the match would have likely ended in a scoreless draw or a 1-0 win for Nancy. They had a shot hit both goal posts and looked dangerous in the latter stages of the match.
L'énorme occasion pour Nancy avec les deux poteaux qui sauvent le PSG ! #PSGASNL pic.twitter.com/bGN4Uu6eGd
— AllezParis (@allezparisfr) March 4, 2017
It was largely a forgettable performance from Paris Saint-Germain. They got the job done but it’s these types of performances that fuel their critics who claim they don’t win by enough goals and play boring football. All will be forgiven though if Emery can get a result against Barcelona and advance to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
Take a look at some of our favorite images from the match and be sure to check back later this week for our coverage of Barcelona vs. PSG.
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