PSG get Ligue 1 title defence off to winning start

AFP | Paris

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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.”