Paris Saint-Germain began their Ligue 1 title defense with a victory on Sunday, as Vitinha’s deflected shot secured a 1-0 win over Nantes.
The Portuguese midfielder’s strike in the second half took a deflection off Nantes defender Chidozie Awaziem, surpassing goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to break the deadlock.
PSG faced a challenging match, with coach Luis Enrique making seven changes to the lineup after their UEFA Super Cup penalty shootout win against Tottenham Hotspur midweek.
This marked the first game of the new season for last year’s Champions League winners, who only started pre-season on August 6 after reaching the Club World Cup final in mid-July.
Lacking pre-season friendlies, PSG will likely need several weeks to reach last season’s performance levels.
Nonetheless, they overcame a determined but ineffective Nantes side, playing under new Portuguese coach Luis Castro for the first time.
“I am very pleased as our primary goal was victory, and we deserved the three points,” said Luis Enrique.
“We maintained control throughout, despite playing away. In the first half, we didn’t create much, which is normal against a deep-defending team.”
Regarding the team’s preparation, the Spanish coach noted: “Today, our players showed readiness and wanted to demonstrate their capabilities.
“They need time, which is normal, but we will become more comfortable with the ball as we play more games.”
Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi played 90 minutes in his PSG debut after joining from Bournemouth for a reported 66 million euros (£57m, $76.7m).
Lucas Chevalier also started, having replaced Gianluigi Donnarumma as PSG’s first-choice goalkeeper after arriving from Lille.
Zabarnyi Debut, Giroud Scores
“Zabarnyi’s physical and technical skills suit my football style perfectly,” said Luis Enrique.
“He is comfortable with the ball, which is crucial for us, and he often wins duels without it. I think he played excellently.”
Substitutes such as Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia contributed to the goal at the 67-minute mark.
Dembele’s short corner to Mendes led to a pass controlled by Vitinha, who then scored.
“With the team’s current physical state, having players who can finish games strongly is vital,” said Enrique.
“This was evident in our last match against Tottenham,” he added.
Goncalo Ramos hit the bar in the first half and had a late goal disallowed for offside before Bradley Barcola’s shot went wide, securing the narrow victory.
PSG’s next game is against Angers at home on Friday evening.
Elsewhere, Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for Lille in a 3-3 draw with Brest.
“It’s a pleasure to return to Ligue 1,” said Giroud, who left Montpellier in 2012 after winning the title and spent 13 years abroad with Arsenal, Chelsea, AC Milan, and LA FC.
Angers defeated newly-promoted Paris FC 1-0 with Esteban Lepaul’s early goal, holding on despite being down to 10 men in the second half.
Strasbourg won 1-0 at Metz with a late goal from Argentine Joaquin Panichelli.
Auxerre beat Lorient 1-0, while Monaco leads the league following their 3-1 victory over Le Havre on Saturday.
