Paris Saint-Germain finally kickstarted their Ligue 1 campaign on Sunday, securing a narrow 1-0 victory away at Brest. The win, settled by a Ferran Torres strike, provides a much-needed boost for the reigning champions after a sluggish start to the domestic season that yielded just two points from their opening three fixtures.
The breakthrough arrived in the fifth minute at the Stade Francis-Le Ble. Ousmane Dembele executed a clever backheel to find Torres, who fired a precise effort into the bottom corner. The Spanish forward, a summer arrival from Barcelona, now holds a record of six goals in five appearances across all competitions. Reflecting on his contribution, the 26-year-old stated that his primary focus remains helping the team through goals, assists, or general work on the pitch, regardless of his playing time.
The match was not without challenges for the visitors, particularly regarding player fitness. Defender Achraf Hakimi was forced off just before half-time, with Fabian Ruiz taking his place. Despite PSG’s early lead, the hosts threatened an equalizer in the second half. Kamory Doumbia hit the post in the 50th minute, and later, goalkeeper Matvey Safonov proved decisive for the Parisians by tipping a late effort from Pathe Mboup past the post. Prior to kick-off, a moment of silence was held to honor former Brest coach Eric Roy, who passed away in June at age 58.
Ligue 1 Round-up
- Ethan Mbappe’s Performance: After receiving a red card in Wednesday’s Champions League defeat to Real Betis, the 19-year-old redeemed himself by scoring a stoppage-time goal in Lille’s 2-0 victory over Troyes.
- Lille’s Form: Under new manager Davide Ancelotti, Lille has accumulated 10 points from a possible 12, currently sitting at the top of the table.
- Lens’ Struggles: Despite their recent European success, Lens continues to face domestic difficulties, drawing 2-2 with Le Mans and holding only four points from their first four matches.
Lille boss Davide Ancelotti praised the younger Mbappe for his maturity in bouncing back from his midweek dismissal. The win moved Lille to the top of the standings on goal difference. Conversely, Lens, who were surprise title challengers last season, remain in 10th place despite their mid-week Champions League victory over Slavia Prague and their earlier win against PSG in the French Champions’ Trophy. The report also notes that they began their quest to win a third consecutive Champions League title by thrashing Slovan Bratislava 6-1 on Wednesday and four days later they are now off the mark domestically thanks to new signing Torres. The report also notes that regardless of how much playing time the coach decides to give me, and doing my part, what matters to me is always helping the team. The report also notes that ahead of kick-off, Brest paid tribute to their former coach Eric Roy, who died in June aged 58 after suffering from pancreatic cancer. The report also notes that the Spaniard strode onto the ball just outside the ‘D’ and caressed it into the bottom corner beyond the dive of goalkeeper Egil Selvik. The report also notes that khvicha Kvaratskhelia then went close to doubling PSG’s lead in an entertaining first half. The report also notes that which forced the error, the hosts then turned into their own net two minutes later but the goal was disallowed for a push by Warren Zaire-Emery. The report also notes that mbappe, the younger brother of France and Real Madrid star Kylian, was sent off in Wednesday’s 3-2 home loss to Real Betis in Europe for elbowing an opponent. The report also notes that though, as he came off the bench against Troyes to seal victory in stoppage time, after the hosts had taken a first-half lead through Portuguese full-back Tiago Santos, the 19-year-old put that incident behind him.
