Paris Saint-Germain, the defending champions of Ligue 1, started the new season with a 1-0 triumph over Nantes away from home. PSG didn’t complete the first round at the top of the standings, even though they won their first game of the season.
Last season, PSG won the Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions, and just last week, the UEFA Super Cup. This made them the first French team to win five trophies in a single season.
A deflected long-range shot from Vitinha gave the team the win in their first Ligue 1 game of the season.
AS Monaco beat Le Havre 3-1 the day before, PSG had to settle for second place in the standings after the first round because they had a worse goal difference.
Starting Lineups and Key Notes
Three new players for Nantes this summer, Awaziem, Kwon Hee-kyu, and Lappalainen, made their official debuts, with Mohamed heading the line-up front.
Neves was suspended for PSG, and Zabarnyi played his first competitive game for the club. Barcola, Gonçalo Ramos, and Mbaye made up the attacking trio, and Dembélé was on the bench.
The first half of the game
In the first half, PSG had trouble getting into a rhythm. Lee Kang-in sent a cross from the right in the 21st minute, but Gonçalo Ramos’ header went wide of the left post.
At the 40-minute mark, PSG had a big chance when Vitinha passed the ball to Barcola, who shot low from the left side of the penalty spot, but Nantes goalkeeper Lafont stopped it.
Emery set up Barcola for a shot from the edge of the box just two minutes later, but it was blocked. Fabian promptly started the attack again, and Lafont saved Ramos’ shot from close range in the six-yard area before it hit the crossbar.
Lee Kang-in crossed from the right again in the 45th minute, this time finding Lucas, but Lafont stopped his header again. Nantes held on, and the first half ended 0-0.
Vitinha Breaks the Deadlock
PSG finally broke through in the 67th minute. Nuno Mendes set up the goal, and Vitinha’s long-range drive hit a defender and went into the net, giving PSG a 1-0 lead.
Ramos was able to score in the 76th minute, but the goal was called offside.
PSG Claim Opening Win
In the end, PSG hung on to win 1-0 over Nantes, giving them three points to start their Ligue 1 season.
This win for Paris Saint-Germain not only gives them a good start to the new season, but it also shows that they can stay competitive in many areas. PSG is still one of the stronger teams in the title race, even though they are now in second place due to their lower goal difference.
