Moise Kean netted the winner as Paris Saint-Germain scraped through against Nice, winning 2-1 in the absence of the injured Neymar. PSG are top of the table as Olympique Lyonnais fell 2-1 at home to Montpellier.
THE MATCH
Also missing the creative talents of Marco Verratti and Angel Di Maria, PSG needed to prove that they could win without their talismanic Brazilian before going to Barcelona in the first leg of the Round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.
In freezing conditions in the French capital, coach Mauricio Pochettino was grateful to suffer no further injuries, that Keylor Navas returned from injury and that his side saw off spirited opposition as they attempt to retain their Ligue 1 title.
Wearing their dazzling new shirt, PSG started well and opened the scoring (23') through Julian Draxler, the German playing in the number 10 role in a 4-2-3-1. Draxler followed up to score after Mauro Icardi had hit the post. Kylian Mbappé, the top scorer in the division, could have made it 2-0 (27') from a Leandro Paredes cross.
PSG switched to a 4-4-2 for the second period with Draxler on the left but were starting to afford Nice space. With confidence boosted by back-to-back wins in the league and Coupe de France, Adrian Ursea's men equalised (50') when Rony Lopes followed up his double against Nîmes in the Cup with a thunderbolt of a right-footer that flew past Navas and in off the bar.
Amine Gouiri (61') hit the crossbar as Nice almost took the lead before Kean scored the winner (76') heading in after great work from Mbappé and Icardi. When Jean-Clair Todibo failed to convert (86') PSG knew they were heading back to the top of the table.
THE PLAYER: Moise Kean
The Italian international played wide on the right but that didn't stop him becoming the game's decisive figure as he scored his 10th league goal of the season, following up on his Coupe de France winner at Caen in midweek. But for injuries, Kean would not have expected to start at Barcelona but will now hope to get - and seize - his opportunity.
THE STAT: 10
Paris Saint-Germain are unbeaten in their last 10 home games against Nice in Ligue 1 (W7, D3) and haven't lost to Les Aiglons at the Parc des Princes since a 1-0 defeat in November 2009.
LYON 1-2 MONTPELLIER
Montpellier completed the win double over Lyon this season as Rudi Garcia's side's title bid stalled. Téji Savanier had scored both MHSC goals in the 2-1 win over OL last September and the midfielder opened the scoring (20') with a bullet header from an Andy Delort cross. Lucas Paqueta equalised in added time at the end of the first half (45+2'), following up after Jonas Omlin had saved a Houssem Aouar header.
Elye Wahi, 18, scored the winner with his third Ligue 1 goal in only seven substitute appearances. The forward finished from close range (65') after Anthony Lopes had pushed a Svanier free-kick onto full-back Léo Dubois and it fell invitingly for Wahi. OL have only lost three league games all season and two of those have been to MHSC. It was a frustrating night for OL, who weren't clinical enough, and the loss is a major blow to their title chances.
REIMS 1-1 LENS
Lens were frustrated despite being superior in every department to their hosts and still haven't won a top division away game at Reims since 1945. Arber Zeneli (13') gave Reims the lead, heading in the follow-up after Jean-Louis Leca had saved Boulaye Dia's shot. Florian Sotoca (61') scored the equaliser - his third in as many matches - from close range, set up by Jonathan Clauss. Lens have lost only one of their last seven league games and are sixth in the table.
