PARIS, Jan 24: Amine Gouiri scored with a Panenka penalty kick and delivered an assist Sunday for Nice to beat Metz 2-0 and return to second place in the French league behind runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain, which welcomed back Lionel Messi as it routed Reims 4-0.
PSG got off to a slow start at the Parc des Princes Stadium but ended up in control with goals from Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos and Danilo Pereira after Reims crumbled and collapsed in the second half.
Messi, recovered from a COVID-19 infection, played his first game of the year after coming on as a substitute in the second half in Paris.
In Metz, Khephren Thuram of Nice broke the deadlock from close range in the 58th before Amine Gouiri scored an 86th minute penalty.
Striker Stephy Mavididi scored twice, including a last-gasp winner, to earn Montpellier a tense 3-2 win against Monaco. (AP)
