Paris Saint-Germain kicked off their Ligue 1 title defence with a hard-fought 1-0 victory away at Nantes on Sunday night, with Vitinha’s second-half strike proving decisive.
The Portuguese midfielder broke the deadlock in the 67th minute after his shot took a heavy deflection off Nantes defender Chidozie Awaziem, leaving goalkeeper Anthony Lopes with no chance.
Manager Luis Enrique made seven changes from the side that lifted the UEFA Super Cup against Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the week, as PSG continue to shake off pre-season rust following their busy summer schedule that ended with a Club World Cup final appearance.
Despite the lack of sharpness, PSG showed their depth. New signings Illia Zabarnyi and Lucas Chevalier made their debuts, with Chevalier replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma as Enrique’s preferred goalkeeper.
Star players Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Desire Doué began on the bench but played crucial roles in creating the winning goal.
Gonçalo Ramos came close in the first half, hitting the bar, and later saw a goal ruled out for offside, while Bradley Barcola narrowly missed adding a second late on.
PSG will host Angers in their next Ligue 1 fixture on Friday evening.
Elsewhere in Ligue 1:
- Lille 3-3 Brest: Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for Lille in a thrilling draw.
- Angers 1-0 Paris FC: Esteban Lepaul netted the winner despite Angers playing with 10 men.
- Strasbourg 1-0 Metz: Joaquin Panichelli sealed victory with a late strike.
- Auxerre 1-0 Lorient: Narrow win keeps Auxerre steady.
- Monaco 3-1 Le Havre: Monaco lead the Ligue 1 table after their strong start.
