Paris Saint-Germain suffered their inaugural loss of the Ligue 1 season, despite a double by Kylian Mbappe, as an impressive Nice secured a 3-2 victory at the Parc des Princes on Friday, with Terem Moffi scoring twice.
PSG found themselves trailing midway through the first half due to a costly error by Mbappe, leading to Moffi’s goal. The French striker made amends thirty minutes in, but Gaetan Laborde restored Nice’s lead early in the second half, and Moffi added another for the visitors. Although Mbappe netted a volley, offering hope to the reigning French champions, Nice held on for the win.
Under Luis Enrique, this marked PSG’s first loss, and despite the defeat, he expressed contentment with the team’s mindset. PSG slipped to third in the early table with eight points from five games, one point behind the unbeaten Nice.
Nice, backed by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, are aiming for a stronger performance this season after finishing ninth in Ligue 1 last year. Coach Francesco Farioli praised his team’s warrior-like performance.
Before kick-off, Marco Verratti bid farewell to Parc des Princes after an 11-year tenure with PSG, moving to Qatari club Al-Arabi. Messages from former teammates were displayed on the big screen, and Verratti was honored with a lap of honor around the pitch.
Nice took a surprising lead in the 21st minute, capitalizing on PSG’s defensive lapse. Despite Mbappe’s equalizer, Nice regained the lead in the 53rd minute through Laborde. Moffi extended Nice’s advantage with a well-placed finish, ultimately securing the win.
Mbappe’s acrobatic volley narrowed the gap, but Nice held firm in the closing moments. PSG now faces the task of regrouping before their Champions League group-stage opener against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.