Torres Secures PSG's First Ligue 1 Win; Mbappe Shines for Lille
Ferran Torres scored the only goal as Paris Saint-Germain finally opened their Ligue 1 account with a 1-0 win over Brest on Sunday. After a slow start to the season, the reigning champions showed signs of life at Stade Francis-Le Ble.
Before this match, Luis Enrique's team had only collected two points from three league games. Their Champions League journey began with a 6-1 demolition of Slovan Bratislava on Wednesday, and four days later Torres' strike helped them get off the mark in the domestic league.
The forward, who joined from Barcelona during the summer and famously scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final, now has six goals in five appearances across all competitions for PSG. His opener came early in the game when Ousmane Dembele cleverly flicked the ball back to him, allowing Torres to place it neatly into the net beyond goalkeeper Egil Selvik.
Torres reflected on his role: "What matters to me is always helping the team, regardless of how much playing time the coach decides to give me, and doing my part. Whether that's through goals, assists, or my work on the pitch."
This victory lifted PSG to eighth place in the Ligue 1 standings, matching Brest’s record, who had been unbeaten until this encounter. Before kickoff, Brest honored their late former coach Eric Roy, who passed away in June from pancreatic cancer at age 58.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
- 5th minute: Torres scores after a backheel assist by Dembele.
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia nearly doubled PSG’s lead during an active first half.
- PSG suffered a blow when right-back Achraf Hakimi left the field injured before halftime, replaced by midfielder Fabian Ruiz.
- Brest almost equalized early in the second half but Kamory Doumbia’s shot hit the post.
- An own goal by Brest was disallowed due to a push by Warren Zaire-Emery.
- Matvey Safonov made crucial saves late to preserve PSG’s lead, denying a close-range effort by Pathe Mboup.
Mbappe Redeems Himself for Lille
Earlier, Ethan Mbappe made up for his recent Champions League red card by scoring a stoppage-time goal that secured a 2-0 win for Lille against Troyes. This win put Lille at the top of Ligue 1.
The younger brother of French star Kylian Mbappe, Ethan was sent off in a 3-2 defeat to Real Betis midweek after elbowing an opponent. He returned to score his first goal since December and quietly apologized to fans for the earlier incident.
Lille coach Davide Ancelotti praised Ethan's maturity: "He came to his senses after his red card and showed maturity beyond his years; he took responsibility for his actions. This week has been very important for him personally, helping him to grow as a player and as a person."
Under Ancelotti, Lille have earned 10 points from a possible 12, climbing above Monaco and Rennes thanks to better goal difference.
Lens Struggles Domestically Despite European Success
Last season’s surprise contenders, Lens, have found Ligue 1 tougher this year. Although they won 3-2 in the Champions League at Slavia Prague recently and beat PSG in the French Champions Trophy last month, their league form lags behind.
After a 2-2 draw away at newly promoted Le Mans, Lens sits 10th with just four points from four games.
