Ferran Torres Shines as PSG Claims First Ligue 1 Victory
Ferran Torres struck early and decisively as Paris Saint-Germain finally ignited their Ligue 1 season with a hard-fought 1-0 win away to Brest on Sunday.
Luis Enrique’s side, sluggish and strangely blunt in their opening three league games, arrived in Brittany under pressure after collecting just two points from nine. They left with their first victory of the domestic campaign and a reminder that their new Spanish forward is already carrying the swagger of a star.
Torres keeps blazing
Four days after demolishing Slovan Bratislava 6-1 to launch their bid for a third straight Champions League crown, PSG leaned again on Torres, their marquee summer arrival from Barcelona and the man who scored Spain’s World Cup-winning goal this summer.
He hit a hat-trick in midweek. He followed it up here with a finish of pure class.
In the fifth minute at Stade Francis-Le Blé, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele produced a touch worthy of the prize. A sharp backheel, perfectly weighted, rolled into the path of the onrushing Torres just outside the ‘D’.
Torres didn’t snatch at it. He opened his body, picked his spot and caressed the ball into the bottom corner beyond Egil Selvik’s dive. One touch, one swing, one ruthless statement.
That made it six goals in five games in all competitions for PSG’s No. 9, who insisted the numbers are secondary.
“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,” the 26-year-old said.
His work has PSG up to eighth, level on points and record with Brest, who suffered their first defeat of the league campaign.
Brest push back, PSG wobble
The evening began with emotion. Before kick-off, Brest paid tribute to former coach Eric Roy, who died in June at the age of 58 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The stadium rose, and the noise that followed set the tone for an intense contest.
After Torres’ early blow, PSG went hunting for a second. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia almost delivered it, threatening again in an open, entertaining first half that had little in common with PSG’s stuttering early-season league form.
But there was a sting for the champions before the break. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi limped off just before half-time, forcing Luis Enrique to reshuffle. Midfielder Fabian Ruiz came on, and PSG’s structure creaked.
Brest sensed it.
Five minutes into the second half, Nuno Mendes gifted them a golden chance with a careless pass across his own box. Kamory Doumbia pounced, bearing down on Matvey Safonov with the goal at his mercy. His shot beat the keeper but not the woodwork, cannoning back off the post with the stadium already half in celebration.
The hosts thought they had levelled two minutes later when the ball was turned into their own net by PSG, only for the referee to rule it out for a push by Warren Zaire-Emery that had forced the mistake. Relief for PSG. Fury in the stands.
Brest kept coming. The champions, who had looked liberated in Europe, now clung on.
Safonov turned from spectator to saviour late on. Pathe Mboup drove in a low effort that seemed destined for the far corner, but the Russian goalkeeper sprang down to his right and brushed it past the post with his fingertips. It was the kind of stop that wins points and, on this night, protected all three.
The whistle went. The champions had their first league win. Not pretty, but badly needed.
Ethan Mbappe’s response
Earlier in the day, another storyline unfolded in Lille, where Ethan Mbappe stepped out from the shadow of a difficult week and, briefly, from that of his famous brother.
Sent off in midweek in the Champions League for elbowing an opponent during Lille’s 3-2 home defeat to Real Betis, the 19-year-old faced questions about temperament and maturity. He answered them in stoppage time.
With Lille leading Troyes 1-0 thanks to a first-half strike from Portuguese full-back Tiago Santos, Mbappe came off the bench and sealed a 2-0 victory with a late goal – his first since December.
He did not celebrate wildly. Instead, he offered a subdued acknowledgement, apologising to the supporters for his red card. The goal, though, carried weight: it pushed Lille to the top of Ligue 1 on goal difference, ahead of Monaco and Rennes.
“He came to his senses after his red card and showed maturity beyond his years; he took responsibility for his actions,” said Lille coach Davide Ancelotti. “This week has been very important for him personally, helping him to grow as a player and as a person. As for his qualities, he certainly has them – he showed that again today.”
Under Ancelotti, son of Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, Lille have taken 10 points from a possible 12. Quietly, they are moving with the rhythm of a serious contender.
Lens feel the strain
Not everyone is riding that wave.
Last season’s surprise title challengers Lens are discovering how hard it is to live with raised expectations. Their European nights still sparkle: a 3-2 Champions League win away to Slavia Prague on Thursday, and a victory over PSG in the French Champions’ Trophy last month, both showcased their capacity to rise to the big occasion.
The league table tells a harsher story.
A 2-2 draw away to newly-promoted Le Mans on Sunday left them on just four points from four matches and sitting 10th. For a side that pushed so hard last season, it is an awkward, uneven start.
PSG, Lille, Lens – three very different afternoons, three very different moods. The champions have finally stirred, Lille have surged to the summit, and Lens are still searching for their domestic rhythm.
How long before the table starts to reflect the power balance everyone expected – or will this be the season that rips up the script?
