Paris Saint-Germain began their quest for a club-record fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nantes at the Stade de la Beaujoire. The reigning champions were made to work for the three points, with a deflected strike from Vitinha midway through the second half proving to be the difference.
Following their UEFA Super Cup triumph earlier in the week, PSG coach Luis Enrique made a number of changes to his lineup, opting to rest several key players. New signings and fringe players were given a chance to impress, but the visitors struggled to find their rhythm against a resolute Nantes defence. The hosts, led by new manager LuÃs Castro, showed plenty of spirit and restricted PSG to a handful of half-chances in the opening 45 minutes, with Gonçalo Ramos even rattling the crossbar just before halftime.
With his side struggling to break the deadlock, Enrique turned to his star-studded bench. Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Desire Doué were all introduced to provide new attacking impetus. The tactical switch paid off almost instantly. In the 67th minute, Mendes laid the ball off to Vitinha, whose long-range effort took a wicked deflection off Nantes defender Chidozie Awaziem, wrong-footing goalkeeper Anthony Lopes before finding the back of the net.
The goal was a significant one, marking the 29th successive meeting in which PSG has scored against Nantes. Though the Parisians thought they had a second goal moments later through Gonçalo Ramos, VAR intervened and ruled it out for offside. Ultimately, one goal was enough to secure the win for the visitors, who showed their quality and depth even when not at their best. As for Nantes, they displayed plenty of endeavour but lacked the cutting edge to trouble PSG’s backline, continuing a winless streak against the champions that now spans eight matches.
