Paris Saint-Germain’s dreams of an unbeaten Ligue 1 season crumbled last weekend, and with it, a ripple of uncertainty ahead of their Champions League semifinal clash with Arsenal. In a 3-1 defeat to Nice at the Parc des Princes, PSG dominated possession and peppered the goal with over 30 shots, but failed to capitalize. Nice, clinical, and relentless, scored three times from just seven attempts.
Despite the setback, manager Luis Enrique remained adamant that the defeat did not rattle the squad’s European ambitions. “I’m not worried at all,” Enrique told reporters after the match. “We attacked, didn’t calculate, and we came up against a goalkeeper who made some incredible saves. We are the best team in France, by far, we proved it. We have to be brave now and think about winning the Champions League.”
A test of mentality for PSG before London?
PSG had already sealed their domestic title with weeks to spare, but the loss to Nice exposed vulnerabilities that Arsenal will seek to exploit. Set-piece defending remains a recurring problem for the French champions, a weakness Youssouf Ndayishimiye’s header ruthlessly revealed for Nice’s third goal. Arsenal, who excel at dead-ball situations, will undoubtedly be targeting that soft spot.
Though heavy on talent, the Parisians showed moments of fragility after falling behind. Enrique’s insistence on fielding a full-strength lineup suggests he viewed this match as a dress rehearsal for Arsenal, not a throwaway game. Yet the inability to respond after Sanson’s second goal early in the second half painted a picture of a team struggling to regain control under pressure.
Still, Enrique’s confidence remains unshaken. “Based on what I saw, I’m signing up straight away for Tuesday in London and the return leg,” he said. “Not for the result, obviously, but because I saw a team that had 30 chances to score.”
With the Champions League now front and center, the pressure mounts. PSG has not won Europe’s top prize despite years of investment that surpasses $1 billion. Tuesday’s clash at the Emirates will test whether the Nice defeat was simply a misstep or a symptom of deeper issues that Arsenal are ready to expose.
