Vitinha delivered the decisive blow for "Paris Saint-Germain" in their tense Ligue 1 season opener, netting the only goal in a 1-0 away victory against "Nantes". The Portuguese midfielder broke the deadlock in the 67th minute after his team had dominated possession throughout the match.
"We controlled the game from start to finish, but Nantes defended well. I'm happy my shot finally made the difference," the midfielder reportedly told teammates after the match.
Ukrainian defender Illia Zabarnyi made his competitive debut for the Parisian club, starting in central defense and playing the full 90 minutes. The new signing showed composure at the back, helping "PSG" maintain a clean sheet in their first fixture of the 2025/26 campaign.
Interestingly, despite their overall dominance, the defending French champions had to wait until well past the hour mark to find a breakthrough. The match remained tightly contested until Vitinha took matters into his own hands with a well-placed shot.
"Nantes" goalkeeper Alban Lafont kept his side in the contest with several saves, but couldn't prevent the visitors from claiming all three points. The hosts managed to limit the typically free-scoring Parisians to just a single goal – not bad against a team of PSG's caliber.
PSG coach utilized his bench effectively, making five substitutions around the hour mark including bringing on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for Gonçalo Ramos in the 78th minute.
Will this narrow victory set the tone for PSG's title defense, or will they find more attacking fluency as the season progresses? One thing's certain – three points is three points, regardless of how they come.
