Paris Saint-Germain supporters displayed a banner referencing Arsenal shortly before their first defeat in Ligue 1 this season.
The loss occurred after PSG had already secured the Ligue 1 title comfortably, holding a massive 23-point lead over second-placed Marseille. The Parisian club`s hopes of completing the domestic season without a loss were ended by this result.
Before their match against Nice at the Parc des Princes on Friday, the focus of many fans was elsewhere. Their upcoming Champions League semi-final against Arsenal, scheduled for Tuesday, was a major topic of anticipation.
A banner directed at Mikel Arteta`s team appeared in the stands. It bore the explicit message: “Eliminate Arsenal, bring us to the final.”
However, the performance on the pitch might have tempered expectations for the upcoming European tie. Nice secured the win with goals from former Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson, who netted twice, and Fabian Ruiz. Youssouf Ndayishimiye sealed the victory for Franck Haise`s side in the 70th minute with their third goal.
PSG ultimately lost the game, conceding three goals from all three of Nice`s shots on target.
Luis Enrique`s Reaction
PSG manager Luis Enrique acknowledged that the defeat had clearly impacted his players. Despite this, he maintained that his team deserved the win and expressed confidence about the upcoming matches against Arsenal.
Based on what I saw, I’m ready for Tuesday in London and the return leg immediately. Not for the result, obviously, but I saw a team that created 30 scoring opportunities. I`m not worried at all. We attacked without hesitation, and we faced a goalkeeper who made some incredible saves. We are clearly the best team in France; we`ve shown that. Now we need to be brave and focus on winning the Champions League. Right now, the players are visibly affected. We absolutely deserved to win. But when the opponent is 100 per cent efficient and you aren`t as clinical as usual, things change. It`s that simple.
When asked about his team selection for the Nice match, Enrique joked that he didn`t want to provide any hints to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
Draw your own conclusions from that. I`m not going to give Arteta any clues.
