Ligue 1: Barcola Leads PSG To 2-1 Away Win Over Nice

Ligue 1: Barcola leads PSG to 2-1 away win over Nice (Image Source: IANS)

UEFA Champions League: Bradley Barcola continued a strong run of recent form and helped Paris Saint-Germain to an away win against OGC Nice on Wednesday night.

Paris Saint-Germain rolled out 2-1 winners, denying hosts OGC Nice a chance at playing in the UEFA Champions League next season. Barcola with a goal and an assist leading the way for a heavily rotated side.

It was the hosts who took the initiative with a potential place in the Champions League on offer and Khephren Thuram hit the post inside five minutes with a low shot from the edge of the area.

But, it was PSG who struck first though, as Barcola robbed Jordan Lotomba, exchanged passes with Fabian Ruiz and gave his side the lead just over fifteen minutes into the match. Minutes later, Barcola doubled the lead with a low cross turned in by Yoram Zague for the teenager’s first goal in Ligue 1. Nice would pull a goal back, though as a mazy run by Jeremie Boga saw him lay the ball off for Mohamed-Ali Cho to make it 2-1 ten minutes before the break, Ligue 1 reports.

Boga then forced PSG ‘keeper Arnau Tenas into a fine save as the match continued to sparkle. Post break, the pace of the match dropped as both sides struggled to create good chances.

Midway through the half, both Farioli and Enrique made a handful of changes, trying to inject some life into the match, but to little effect. Nice had the better of the chances, but did little to test Arnau Tenas.

That failure to make more of the match going forward was then undone further as Melvin Bard was sent off with fifteen minutes to play, all but sealing the result as Nice would have a proverbial mountain to climb a man and a goal down.

The result meant, that Nice will finish fifth as they can neither catch Brest in fourth or be caught up by RC Lens, who remained four points behind.

PSG will finish their season away to FC Metz while Nice will head to LOSC Lille on Sunday evening.