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New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
PSG get Ligue 1 title defence off to winning start
NANTES: Paris Saint-Germain got their defence of the Ligue 1 title off to a winning start on Sunday as Vitinha's deflected strike proved enough to earn the European champions a 1-0 victory away to Nantes. The Portuguese midfielder's effort midway through the second half beat goalkeeper Anthony Lopes with the aid of a wicked deflection off Nantes defender Chidozie Awaziem to break the deadlock. PSG were made to work hard for their victory as coach Luis Enrique made seven changes to his starting line-up following the UEFA Super Cup win on penalties against Tottenham Hotspur in midweek. That was the first game of the new campaign for last season's Champions League winners, who only began pre-season training on August 6 having gone all the way to the Club World Cup final in the United States in mid-July. They did not play any friendly matches prior to that and are therefore likely to require several weeks before getting close to the level at which they performed last season. However, they still had enough against a hard-working but punchless Nantes side, playing a 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." Asked about his team's lack of preparation for the start of the new season, the Spanish coach added: "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." Ukraine defender Illia Zabarnyi played 90 minutes on his PSG debut after arriving at the start of the week from Bournemouth in a reported €66 million (£57m, $76.7m) deal. Lucas Chevalier also started with the new arrival from Lille having immediately taken over from Gianluigi Donnarumma as PSG's first-choice goalkeeper. "The physical and technical abilities of Zabarnyi are perfect for the style of football I like," Luis Enrique said. "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." The likes of Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia all started the game on the bench but the substitutes played a part in the goal which came on 67 minutes. Dembele played a corner from the PSG left short to Mendes and his square pass was controlled by Vitinha before the playmaker fired in. "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," said Luis Enrique. "That happened in the last game against Tottenham too," he added. Goncalo Ramos, who hit the bar in the first half, had an effort disallowed for offside late on, before Bradley Barcola clipped a shot just wide as one goal proved enough. PSG's next game will be at home to Angers next Friday evening. Elsewhere on Sunday, France's 2018 World Cup-winning striker Olivier Giroud scored his first goal for Lille in their 3-3 draw at Brest. "It is a real pleasure to be back in Ligue 1," said Giroud, who left Montpellier after helping them win the title in 2012 and has spent the last 13 years abroad featuring for Arsenal, Chelsea, AC Milan and Los Angeles FC. Angers beat newly-promoted Paris FC 1-0 with Esteban Lepaul scoring the only goal early on and the hosts holding on despite playing most of the second half down to 10 men. Strasbourg were 1-0 winners at Metz thanks to a late strike by Argentine summer signing Joaquin Panichelli.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
PSG begin Ligue 1 defence with narrow win over Nantes
PARIS Saint-Germain opened their Ligue 1 title defence with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Nantes on Sunday. Vitinha's second-half strike, aided by a deflection, proved decisive as PSG secured three points at Stade de la Beaujoire. The Portuguese midfielder's effort in the 67th minute took a wicked deflection off Chidozie Awaziem before beating goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Luis Enrique made seven changes to his starting lineup following their UEFA Super Cup triumph over Tottenham in midweek. PSG's lack of pre-season preparation was evident as they struggled to dominate against a disciplined Nantes side. The French champions only began training on August 6 after their Club World Cup campaign in July. 'We deserved the three points,' Luis Enrique said after the match. 'We were in control throughout, playing away from home.' New signing Illia Zabarnyi completed 90 minutes on his debut following his £57m move from Bournemouth. Lucas Chevalier also started in goal, replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma as PSG's new first-choice keeper. 'The physical and technical abilities of Zabarnyi are perfect for the style of football I like,' Luis Enrique added. Substitutes Ousmane Dembélé and Nuno Mendes combined in the build-up to Vitinha's winning goal. Gonçalo Ramos saw a first-half effort hit the crossbar before having a late strike ruled out for offside. PSG will host Angers in their next Ligue 1 fixture on Friday. Elsewhere, Olivier Giroud scored his first Lille goal in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Brest. Angers edged newly-promoted Paris FC 1-0, while Strasbourg secured a late 1-0 win at Metz. Monaco currently lead Ligue 1 after their 3-1 victory over Le Havre on Saturday. - AFP
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Vitinha goal guides PSG past Nantes in their Ligue 1 opener
NANTES, France (Reuters) -Paris St Germain began their Ligue 1 title defence with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Nantes on Sunday thanks to a second-half goal from their Portugal midfielder Vitinha. Fresh from their Super Cup triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in a shootout on Wednesday, PSG lacked their usual urgency in front of goal, going in at halftime without having carved out any real chances against a disciplined Nantes defence. PSG eventually broke the deadlock when Vitinha's strike from distance in the 67th minute took a deflection off Nantes defender Chidozie Awaziem and curled into the far corner. Nantes then began to concede more space and PSG thought they had doubled their lead minutes later through Goncalo Ramos but the striker's effort was ruled out for offside. (Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
