Paris Saint-Germain started their Ligue 1 title defence with a 1-0 win over Nantes on Sunday. PSG, last season’s Champions League winners, relied on a deflected strike from Vitinha to secure three points in their opening match.
The Portuguese midfielder found the net in the 67th minute when his shot took a wicked deflection off Chidozie Awaziem. Nantes goalkeeper Anthony Lopes had no chance as the strike gave PSG the breakthrough they needed.
Luis Enrique Rotates Squad After Super Cup Win
Coach Luis Enrique made seven changes to the line-up following the UEFA Super Cup win against Tottenham Hotspur. Despite a lack of pre-season friendlies, PSG managed to grind out a victory. The squad only resumed training on August 6 after playing the Club World Cup final in July.
Ukraine defender Illia Zabarnyi completed 90 minutes on his PSG debut after joining from Bournemouth in a €66 million deal. Lucas Chevalier also made his first appearance, taking over as first-choice goalkeeper from Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Nantes, playing their first match under Portuguese coach Luis Castro, stayed disciplined but offered little attacking threat against the reigning champions.
Substitutes Key in PSG’s Winning Goal
The deciding strike involved substitutes. Ousmane Dembele played a short corner to Nuno Mendes, who squared the ball for Vitinha. The midfielder controlled before firing the shot that sealed the game.
Goncalo Ramos hit the crossbar earlier and later had a goal disallowed for offside. Bradley Barcola also came close late on but shot narrowly wide.
PSG’s next Ligue 1 fixture is at home against Angers on Friday. Elsewhere, Olivier Giroud scored for Lille in a 3-3 draw with Brest, Angers beat Paris FC 1-0, Strasbourg edged Metz 1-0, Auxerre defeated Lorient 1-0, while Monaco topped the early table with a 3-1 win over Le Havre.
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