Paris Saint-Germain 0-0 Lorient: Stalemate at Parc des Princes as PSG fail to make winning start to Ligue 1 season

Paris Saint-Germain began their Ligue 1 title defence with an underwhelming 0-0 draw at home to Lorient.

There were six debutants in a PSG side which struggled to break Lorient down, but it was the visitors that came within inches of opening the scoring when Laurent Abergel won the ball upfield, saw Gianluigi Donnarumma off his line and scuffed a shot onto the post.

PSG played with a little more urgency in the second half but decisive chances remained rare for Luis Enrique’s team in what was his first competitive game as manager.

Debutant Lee Kang-in had a close-range shot blocked and Vitinha fired narrowly over.

Substitute Fabian Ruiz came closest for the hosts, but Yvon Mvogo stood firm when the ball fell for Ruiz by the penalty spot.

Kylian Mbappe was not in the Parisians’ squad as his contract stand-off continues, but was watching at the Parc des Princes alongside new PSG signing Ousmane Dembele.

PSG’s new era is off to stuttering start. There were six debutants in the PSG line-up and few the of the established star names – just Achraf Hakimi and Donnarumma. Add in a new manager and it is not hyperbolic to call this a new era for the club, but it did not start in the best fashion.

Ligue 1 should be PSG’s bread and butter. They are expected to win and win easily, so to struggle so much to break down Lorient feels somewhat foreshadowing. Plenty of teams will look to get 11 men behind the ball and frustrate PSG this season.

Of course it is just one game and given all the upheaval at the club, plus star players training away from the first team, it would be reasonable to expect some growing pains. But Luis Enrique must beware that expectations at the Parc des Princes are frequently unreasonable.

Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG). Of PSG’s three central midfielders, Zaire-Emery was the one offered the most forward drive. Tidy in possession and disciplined without it, the 17-year-old was not one of the reasons behind the champions’ ineffectiveness in the final third.

PSG: Donnarumma 5, Hakimi 7, Danilo 6, Skriniar 6, Hernandez 5, Zaire-Emery 6, Ugarte 5, Vitinha 6, Asensio 5, Lee 5, Ramos 6. Subs: Fabian 6, Soler 5, Ekitike 5, Marquinhos 6.

Lorient: Mvogo 6, Le Goff 6, Laporte 6, Talbi, Meite 7, Kalulu 7, Abergel 7, Makengo 6, Faivre 5, Le Bris 5, Dieng 4. Subs: Kone 5, Ponceau 6, Yongwa 6.

42′ LORIENT HIT THE POST – Abergel wins possession in the PSG half and, with Donnarumma off his line, shoots early. It is a scuffed shot, but swerves away from the stranded Donnarumma and hits the post! A massive let-off for PSG.

47′ CHANCE FOR LEE – A cross is too high for Ramos but cleared only as far as Lee, whose close-range shot is deflected behind.

51′ VITINHA COMES CLOSE – Vitinha hits one from 25 yards and lands the ball on the roof of the net.

76′ FABIAN DENIED – A loose ball falls invitingly for Fabian, 10 yards out, but Lorient put their bodies on the line and the effort is stopped by Mvogo.

90+5′ UGARTE SHOOTS WIDE – Ugarte flashes a long-range effort narrowly wide and that is surely the last chance gone.

• You have to go back to the last millennium for the last time PSG had six debutants in a Ligue 1 line-up.
• The last six meetings between PSG and Lorient have yielded two wins apiece and two draws.