Gianluigi Donnarumma stands tall! PSG winners and losers as Italian goalkeeper's heroics vs Nice keep the hecklers quiet

Gianluigi Donnarumma's seven saves and Lionel Messi's attacking quality saw PSG over the line in a 2-0 win over Nice on Saturday

Nicolas Pepe thought he had scored. The Nice winger snuck in at the back post, met Khephren Thuram's cross in stride and guided the ball towards goal. But Gianluigi Donnarumma threw his body in the way, equalling the winger's close-range effort.

It was just one of seven stellar saves from the PSG goalkeeper, whose standout showing evoked memories of his Euro 2020 masterclasses. And after Lionel Messi bagged the opener, and Sergio Ramos nodded home from a corner, Donnarumma's goalkeeping clinic guided PSG to a 2-0 league win over Nice.

Messi broke the deadlock for the visitors. After Kylian Mbappe's shot was stuffed, Nuno Mendes pounced onto the rebound and squared it to an open Messi, who flicked over Kasper Schmeichel and into the top corner. The Argentine was at it for the rest of the first half, orchestrating play and forcing the Nice keeper into a few other neat saves.

PSG's attacking quality steadily dwindled, though, and the Parisians turned to their Euro 2020-winning goalkeeper to keep them in the contest. Donnarumma made two neat saves towards the end of the first half, twice diving at full stretch to deny what seemed to be certain goals.

He was required again in the second half, denying Pepe and Jean-Clair Todibo to ensure that PSG stayed in the lead. The Parisians were also handed a lifeline by a fortunate bounce, as Dante's header crashed down off the crossbar but refused to creep over the line - staying out of the net by millimetres.

Sergio Ramos reaped the rewards grabbed PSG's crucial second, nodding home off a corner - enough to see out a slightly uneasy victory.

Getty Images
WINNER: Gianluigi Donnarumma
This is the Donnarumma PSG have been missing. The Italian's quality is undeniable, but he's also been liable to the odd mistake over the past 18 months, some of which have been truly costly to his side. On Saturday, though, he was the difference-maker, seeing off a dogged Lens attack with seven excellent saves.
He was relatively untroubled for the first 30 minutes and seemed poised for a quiet day as Nice struggled to create in the early stages. But he was called into action with regularity by the end of the first half and stopped two certain goals in the closing stages of the opening period. Donnarumma proved equally valuable in the second half, denying four further attempts to ensure that PSG stayed ahead.
The Parisians cannot count on their goalie to be this impactful every game, and they might not want to put him in such a position. But he was every bit the star keeper they needed against Nice.

Getty Images
LOSER: Achraf Hakimi
Perhaps he's still being bothered by a hamstring injury, but Hakimi hasn't quite been himself of late. He has been hesitant going forward and often loose defensively. Khephren Thuram was always going to be a tricky match-up, and Hakimi made it hard on himself.
He looked lost at times, and was too easily beaten off the dribble. He and Marquinhos - who also had a poor 90 minutes - were hardly comfortable against a side with a middling goalscoring record, something that doesn't bode well if PSG are to see this title across the line. His usual stellar attacking work was lacking, too, with Hakimi mistiming the odd run and not getting involved in the flow of attack.
It was a forgettable one for the Moroccan. He will need to be better against second-placed Lens next week.
Getty
WINNER: Lionel Messi
Well, that's one way to answer your critics. Messi did a very Messi thing here. He wandered around, touched the ball very nicely, played some angled passes. And then, he made a very difficult finish look very easy. Nuno Mendes gave him a difficult cross to handle, driving a ball hard onto his left boot. But Messi controlled it perfectly, guiding Mendes' ball into the top corner.
And he continued to be impactful from there. He sprayed some wonderful passes to Mbappe, linked up with Hakimi well, and gave PSG some temporary relief when pushed back by a well-drilled Nice side. This wasn't Messi operating a full capacity - far from it - but he bagged the winner and did his bit to ensure that PSG grabbed three points. In a season this poor, that's all they need.

Getty Images
LOSER: Renato Sanches
What a miserable campaign for the Portuguese midfielder. Sanches just seemed to be finding form, and was rewarded with a start at the No.6 today in the absence of Marco Verratti. But he pulled up with an injury after less than 10 minutes, and immediately called for a substitution.
Sanches still has four years left on his deal, and should be an impact payer if he stays fit. But he hasn't started more than 20 league games since he was a teenager. That's not a good sign for a midfielder in his mid-20s.
Getty Images
WINNER: Khephren Thuram
No wonder everyone is after him. Thuram bossed the midfield on Saturday evening, every bit the young, energetic creative midfielder that many have him pipped to be. He won the ball regularly, paced the flow of the Nice attack, and found a killer pass on a number of occasions. Thuram was perhaps unlucky not to walk away with an assist, especially after Donnarumma denied Pepe from close range off his sumptuous cross.
PSG, Liverpool and Newcastle have all been linked with the 22-year-old, and Nice are looking likely to sell. If anything, this showing only drove his price up.
Getty Images
LOSER: Lens
Lens have sort of fallen into a title charge. They haven't been particularly dominant on the ball or even that good in front of goal. Indeed, it is their capacity to avoid losses - they only have three on the season - that has kept them competitive. And after they grinded out a win against Strasbourg on Friday, a PSG blunder would've made for a perfect weekend.
But the Parisians avoided such a mistake, and Lens will face a six-point deficit when the two sides meet next week. It is far from over, but they could have done with some help from Nice.