Thrilling Ligue 1 Kickoff: PSG and Giroud's Return Highlight Action

Paris, Aug 18 (AP) – Vitinha ended the stalemate with a slice of fortune as Paris Saint-Germain kicked off its Ligue 1 title defense with a lackluster 1-0 victory over Nantes. PSG, fresh off a Champions League win, seemed devoid of inspiration, reminiscent of their struggles against Europa League champions Tottenham during Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup final.

The decisive moment came in the 67th minute when Portuguese midfielder Vitinha seized the ball about 20 meters from goal. His shot took an unexpected deflection off defender Chidozie Awaziem, catching goalkeeper Anthony Lopes off-guard. This solitary goal proved sufficient for coach Luis Enrique’s squad, which was without their Italy No. 1 goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Linked with a move to Manchester City, Donnarumma's future at PSG is uncertain following the arrival of Lucas Chevalier from Lille. The match's first half was scrappy, marked by a dearth of creativity, leaving both Chevalier and Lopes relatively untested.

Nantes coach Luis Castro might question his decision to bench his top striker Matthis Abline until the 60th minute. Abline, eyeing a departure from Nantes, noticeably sharpened the team's attack upon entering the game.

Other Matches – Veteran striker Olivier Giroud needed just 11 minutes to mark his return to Ligue 1, though his efforts weren’t enough as Lille ended in a 3-3 draw at Brest. Giroud expertly finished a pass from Felix Correia, making him Lille's oldest scorer in Ligue 1 at 38 and completed the full match.

"It was a special moment for me and I'm happy to be back in Ligue 1," Giroud told broadcaster DAZN. "The coach asked me several times how I was feeling, and I said I wanted to play until the end."

Midfielder Hakon Arnar Haraldsson doubled Lille's lead to 2-0 before Kamory Doumbia’s two goals drew the game. Lille momentarily reclaimed the advantage thanks to Ngal'ayel Mukau's corner-assisted goal, but Julien Le Cardinal's equalizer dashed their hopes of victory.

At Angers, Esteban Lepaul’s early goal secured a 1-0 win against newly promoted Paris FC, despite midfielder Louis Mouton's 57th-minute red card.

Auxerre’s Lassine Sinayoko netted early in the second half to ensure a 1-0 home win over Lorient, the Ligue 2 champions.

Meanwhile, Metz's strategy to start 16-year-old forward Brian Madjo didn’t pay off, as they succumbed to a late goal in a 1-0 loss to Strasbourg, with Joaquin Panichelli scoring for the visitors.

Back to France – Giroud made his move to Lille following a lackluster spell with Los Angeles FC. Prior to this, he carved a name for himself at AC Milan, Chelsea, and Arsenal—the latter he joined after clinching the French title with Montpellier in 2012, scoring 21 league goals that season. Giroud holds the record as France's all-time top scorer in men's international football with 57 goals and was instrumental in winning the 2018 World Cup with Les Bleus.

"I wanted to challenge myself one more time," Giroud said.

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