PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain saw their unbeaten record in Ligue 1 this season finally ended in a 3-1 home defeat against Nice on Friday, just ahead of their Champions League semi-final showdown against Arsenal. PSG had been hoping to become the first team ever to complete a French top-flight season without losing a game, but Morgan Sanson scored twice for Nice as the visitors claimed all three points against the run of play.

Fabian Ruiz had brought PSG level late in the first half, cancelling out Sanson’s opener. However, Sanson scored again just 22 seconds into the second half, and Youssouf Ndayishimiye later headed in to make it 3-1. “For me the result is not fair but that’s football, you have to accept it,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, who saw his side dominate the game with 76 percent possession and over 30 shots on goal. PSG had been unbeaten in 30 Ligue 1 matches this season, and had not lost any of their last 41 games against French opposition since a 3-1 home loss against Toulouse on May 12 last year.

The result means PSG, who had already secured a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title at the start of this month, fall short of equalling the record for the longest unbeaten run from the beginning of a French season. That record is still held by Nantes, who went undefeated for 32 matches before suffering their sole defeat on the way to winning the title in 1994/95. PSG must now quickly put this defeat behind them as they head to London for the first leg of their Champions League last-four tie against Arsenal on Tuesday, before the return at the Parc des Princes on May 7.

‘Not worried’

“The possibility of beating a couple more records was an objective for us in these last few weeks,” admitted Luis Enrique. “It wasn’t to be, but it does not in any way change our objective of carrying on in the Champions League and getting to the final.” PSG had started with a full-strength line-up but were denied by a string of fine saves by Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bulka. “What I saw, I would take that again in London on Tuesday and in the return leg,” Luis Enrique added.

“I am not worried at all. When you have a team that doesn’t speculate, that tries to attack, presses, doesn’t stop running, but doesn’t take their chances and the opposition goalkeeper makes some incredible saves, well that’s football and I accept it.” Sanson marked his first start of the season after injury to put Nice ahead only for Ruiz to fire in from Ousmane Dembele’s assist to equalize before the break. Sanson then adjusted his body to finish superbly from a Jonathan Clauss cross immediately after the restart, and Ndayishimiye headed in a Badredine Bouanani free-kick with 20 minutes left. 

Nice also beat PSG in Paris last season and held Luis Enrique’s side to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at the beginning of this campaign. The victory is a huge boost to their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, as they climb up to fourth place and are behind Monaco in third only on goal difference. Marseille in second are only one point better off. The top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify directly for the league phase of next season’s Champions League, with fourth entering in the preliminary rounds. “It is quite an achievement to beat this PSG, with the season they are having, in their own ground,” said Nice coach Franck Haise. - AFP