Paris Saint-Germain sealed a 1-0 win over Nantes in the French Ligue 1 2025-26 opener
Vitinha's deflected shot was the winner for PSG against Nantes
Vitinha led the match with 133 touches, 122 passes, and 10 ball recoveries
A goal from Ballon d’Or nominee Vitinha was the difference between Paris Saint-Germain and Nantes in the Ligue 1 champions' opening match of their 2025-26 campaign.
Vitinha's hopeful second-half strike took a fortuitous deflection and wrong-footed Nantes goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to break the deadlock in the 67th minute on Sunday.
Luis Enrique’s side asserted their dominance in the early exchanges, with both Goncalo Ramos and Bradley Barcola seeing efforts go wide of the mark.
Nantes, who finished 13th last season, defended resolutely, restricting their visitors to just four shots on target.
Despite the hosts' best efforts, the pressure eventually told as the capital club maintained their extraordinary run of scoring against Nantes in Ligue 1. PSG have now scored against Nantes in 29 successive league meetings dating back to 2006.
While Ramos saw a well-taken finish ruled out for offside, last season's Champions League winners were not troubled, as Nantes offered very little going forward and had only five attempts, failing to get one of them on target.
Data Debrief: Masterful Vitinha makes the difference
PSG were limited to just 1.33 expected goals (xG) by their hosts, which is no mean feat given the quality of players Luis Enrique has at his disposal.
However, it was midfield maestro Vitinha who got PSG's domestic season up and running. On top of his goal, he also registered the most touches (133) and passes (122) in the contest.
The former Porto and Wolves man was a stalwart defensively, winning possession back for his side on 10 occasions — the most of any player on the pitch.
