PSG Begin Ligue 1 Title Defence with Narrow Victory

Paris Saint-Germain opened their Ligue 1 title defence with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Nantes on Sunday, thanks to a deflected strike from Vitinha midway through the second half.

The Portuguese midfielder’s effort beat goalkeeper Anthony Lopes with the aid of a deflection off Nantes defender Chidozie Awaziem, breaking the deadlock.

Coach Luis Enrique made seven changes to his starting line-up following PSG’s UEFA Super Cup victory on penalties against Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the week. Despite this, the European champions secured all three points against a resilient Nantes side playing their first competitive match under new Portuguese coach Luis Castro.

“I am very happy because the first objective in these matches is the victory and I think we deserved the three points,” Luis Enrique said.
“We were in control throughout, playing away from home. In the first half we didn’t create much but that is normal because it is difficult against a team defending so deep.”

Enrique also addressed his squad’s limited preparation for the new season:

“Today we saw that our players are ready and wanted to show the level they can perform at. They all need time, which I think is normal, but we will look more comfortable with the ball once we have a few more games under our belts.”

PSG began pre-season training on 6 August after competing in the Club World Cup final in mid-July, and did not play any friendly matches prior to the league opener.

Ukraine defender Illia Zabarnyi made his PSG debut, playing the full 90 minutes after joining from Bournemouth in a reported €66 million (£57m, $76.7m) deal.

“The physical and technical abilities of Zabarnyi are perfect for the style of football I like,” said Enrique.
“He is comfortable on the ball, which is important for us, and without the ball he usually wins his duels. I think he played very well.”

New Lille signing Lucas Chevalier also started as PSG’s first-choice goalkeeper, replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Substitutes such as Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all featured, playing a part in the decisive goal in the 67th minute. Dembele delivered a corner short to Mendes, whose square pass was controlled by Vitinha before he scored.

“At the moment with the physical condition of the team it is important to have players who can come on towards the end of games in an optimal condition,” Enrique explained.
“That happened in the last game against Tottenham too.”

Other opportunities came close for PSG: Goncalo Ramos struck the bar in the first half and had a late effort disallowed for offside, while Bradley Barcola narrowly missed with a clipped shot.

PSG’s next Ligue 1 fixture will be at home to Angers on Friday evening.

Other Ligue 1 Results

• Lille 3-3 Brest: Former France striker Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for Lille.

“It is a real pleasure to be back in Ligue 1,” Giroud said, having spent 13 years abroad with Arsenal, Chelsea, AC Milan, and Los Angeles FC.

• Angers 1-0 Paris FC: Esteban Lepaul’s early goal secured victory, despite Angers playing most of the second half with 10 men.
• Strasbourg 1-0 Metz: Argentine summer signing Joaquin Panichelli scored the late winner.
• Auxerre 1-0 Lorient
• Monaco 3-1 Le Havre: Monaco are the first league leaders of the season following their win on Saturday.

Match Summary Table

PSG’s win provides a solid start to their title defence, even as the squad continues to build fitness and cohesion early in the new campaign.