Messi shows off Ballon d'Or as PSG held by Nice
The Ligue 1 leaders PSG were held to a 0-0 draw by Nice at the Parc des Princes.
PARIS (AFP) - Lionel Messi showed off his latest Ballon d Or to Paris Saint-Germain supporters on Wednesday but the Argentinian had a quiet night as the Ligue 1 leaders were held to a 0-0 draw by Nice at the Parc des Princes.
The 34-year-old had been a pre-match doubt having reportedly picked up a stomach bug after going out to celebrate being named the best player in the world for the seventh time at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.
However, he started against Nice in a PSG side missing Neymar, who is expected to be sidelined for up to eight weeks with an ankle injury, the latest setback in the Brazilian s time in the French capital.
Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe came closest to finding the net after the break for PSG, who had a huge let-off as Kasper Dolberg hit the post for Nice in the second half when it seemed easier to score.
"We created chances and I thought we deserved the three points," insisted PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino.
"We are improving little by little. We are top of Ligue 1 and through in the Champions League."
Messi has still managed just one Ligue 1 goal since moving to Paris in August from Barcelona, although he has also netted three times in the Champions League.
Gianluigi Donnarumma also showed off an award pre-match, the Italian displaying the Yashin Trophy he won at the Ballon d Or gala for being the best goalkeeper of a year in which he starred in his country s Euro 2020 victory.
He did not have too much to do against a Nice team that defended superbly, although he did make one crucial stop from an Andy Delort header just after the half-hour mark.
"We were very, very well disciplined and I thought the draw was the right result," said Nice coach Christophe Galtier, who led Lille to the Ligue 1 title last season at PSG s expense.
France s Moto GP world champion Fabio Quartararo, who was born in Nice, appeared on the pitch before the match, taking the ceremonial kick-off before shaking hands with Messi and then embracing Mbappe.
Despite the draw, Pochettino s PSG side are 12 points clear at the top of the French table from Marseille, who climbed up to second with a 1-0 win at 10-man Nantes as Brazilian midfielder Gerson got their goal with a brilliant finish on the turn on the half-hour mark.
Marseille, who still have a game in hand following the abandonment of their recent match at Lyon, move above Rennes after the Brittany side went down 2-1 at home to defending champions Lille, Renato Sanches scoring what proved to be the winner.
Nice slip to fourth in the table, while fifth-placed Lens drew 2-2 at Clermont.
The big winners of the evening were Strasbourg, who crushed struggling Bordeaux 5-2 and sit sixth in the table, just above Monaco, 3-1 winners at Angers.
Meanwhile Lyon are languishing in mid-table after suffering a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Reims, with Hugo Ekitike scoring an injury time winner for the away side following a mistake by goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.
Lyon were forced to host the match behind closed doors as a punishment for the incidents in their last home game when Marseille s Dimitri Payet was struck on the head by a bottle of water thrown from the crowd.
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