Gerard Julien/AFP/Getty ImagesPSG's inconsistent domestic form continued as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and company were cut down 2-1 at Nice on Saturday.

Carlo Ancelotti's Paris Saint-Germain side heaped further pressure upon their coach with another lacklustre performance as they went down 2-1 to Claude Puel's Nice on the Cote d'Azur. Despite a Zlatan Ibrahimovic equaliser seven minutes from time, PSG contrived to yet again capitulate defensively and allowed their 12th goal of the season, losing the league's joint-best defensive record in a costly defeat.

Old problems, it seems, are coming back to haunt the capital club after Ancelotti had seemingly turned a corner with the back line. Les Parisiens deceived again, though, as a number of big names failed to deliver with Blaise Matuidi making matters worse by seeing red minutes from the end.

With Salvatore Sirigu injured, Nicolas Douchez was called upon to replace the Italian between the sticks but there was nothing he could do about Valentin Eysseric's winner and Eric Bautheac's opener which came on a defensive error, stemming from a misplaced pass from substitute Guillaume Hoarau that the Frenchman had tried his best to correct. However, the defensive efforts of Thiago Silva, Alex, Christophe Jallet and Sylvain Armand left a lot to be desired as PSG looked shorn of defensive stability for the 90 minutes, Dario Cvitanich in particular proving to be a nuisance for the back four. It was Armand's replacement, Maxwell, who moved back into defence from his newly preferred midfield berth who failed to mark Eysseric on the game-winner.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the current malaise affecting Ancelotti’s men is their lack of fluidity up front. Some patience was obviously going to be required, but right now it seems that only Ibrahimovic is capable of scoring any goals on a regular basis. The attacking trio of Ibrahimovic, Jeremy Menez and Ezequiel Lavezzi, while looking lively, were wasteful in front of goal and rarely looked capable of troubling David Ospina. But also of note is that the midfield has lost all authority without Marco Verratti.

Matuidi's red card is arguably more damaging than the actual defeat, given his impressive form so far this season but his absence will cause Ancelotti a major headache in the coming weeks as Verratti's rapid ascension into the first team has reached something of a plateau and Thiago Motta is clearly still not match fit. Momo Sissoko will likely fill the void, but he is not far from suspension himself and Clement Chantome has looked short of confidence since injury curtailed his healthy progress that resulted in international recognition.

Perhaps the biggest positive of the night is that, despite Lyon racing five points clear at the top of Ligue 1, PSG host les Gones in a fortnight with a chance to close the gap to two points. Yes, it is a hollow consolation, but provided the capital club slip no further behind, the position is still salvageable. The title is not yet lost, far from it, but Ancelotti is now facing immense pressure that can only be eased with victories and convincing performances which so far have been few and far between.

PSG face Porto in the Champions League next, a competition which has often been les Rouge-et-Bleu's saving grace this term. A win there is now imperative because although it will have no real bearing on the club's progress to the next round, it makes their efforts more convincing if they finish top of a relatively tame Group A. Defeat to Porto would mean that despite progressing to the last 16, PSG would have suffered three home defeats under Ancelotti, an unacceptable total. Evian follow the Portuguese when the capital outfit return to domestic form, Ancelotti must now prove that he and PSG, have the bottle to deal with the current crisis.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Email