It lasted only a moment. Ferran Torres collects the ball before finding João Neves. The Portuguese midfielder feeds Ousmane Dembélé, who draws Raphaël Le Guen towards him and takes the defender out of the move with a dazzling first-time backheel into Torres’ path. Brest’s defenders resemble training markers as the Spaniard drifts back into the attack and guides a shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner of Egil Selvik’s goal. The move seemed to unfold in slow motion, yet it was still too fast for the Norwegian goalkeeper.
The sequence carried the smoothness and grace long associated with Paris Saint-Germain. The champions were in front after only four minutes, leaving the Stade Francis Le-Blé crowd expecting the visitors to deliver an emphatic display.
Earlier in the week, Luis Enrique had labelled PSG’s opening to the Ligue 1 campaign “catastrophic”. A straightforward 6-1 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava in midweek appeared to mark a timely recovery. Slovan manager Yaya Touré described PSG as a “machine” after the match, a familiar comparison for the French champions.
However, PSG again looked vulnerable in Brittany on Sunday evening, despite leaving with all three points. Torres’ outstanding strike proved to be the match’s only goal and his sixth since arriving from Barcelona during the summer. Remarkably, each of his six shots on target this season has ended in the net. His confidence remains high after scoring the decisive goal in the World Cup final earlier in the summer.
That self-belief is not yet evident throughout the rest of the team. Vitinha, in particular, has struggled to rediscover his form since the summer break, and PSG have collectively missed the sharp attacking influence he usually supplies. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has also fallen short of his customary standards, while questions had begun to emerge over Matvey Safonov in goal. The Russian was responsible for Monaco’s winner the previous weekend when Stanis Idumbo beat him at the near post. Kai Havertz had exposed the same area in May’s Champions League final, making Safonov appear the most obvious weakness in PSG’s side.
Yet Safonov was the main reason PSG ended their five-match winless run against French opposition. He was spared when Nuno Mendes inexplicably sent Kamory Doumbia through one-on-one during the second half, only for the Malian to strike the outside of the post. Safonov later reacted strongly to push away Doumbia’s powerful header low to his left, before tipping Pathé Mboup’s curling attempt around the far post in the closing stages.
Brest recorded a higher xG than the European champions but finished without a point. Exceptional moments at both ends ultimately settled the contest. For now, PSG appear limited to isolated flashes of quality rather than sustained dominance. “For me, it was the worst of our four Ligue 1 matches, even if we won,” said Luis Enrique. “In the other three matches, we showed a high level at the back, but our opponents scored every chance. This time, it was the opposite.”
There is no immediate cause for panic. PSG have often begun seasons slowly, and only a kinder early schedule last year prevented them from falling similarly far behind the leading teams. They now trail Lille, Monaco and Rennes by five points, with each of those clubs sitting on 10.
Earlier in the week, Marquinhos said PSG’s challenge was “a matter of ambition and motivation” as they looked to reproduce the achievements of the previous two seasons. Much like Torres’ carefully placed finish, the club’s success frequently depends on timing, and PSG have repeatedly shown an ability to reach their peak when it matters most.
Brest’s readiness for the occasion was never in question. Stade Francis Le-Blé was filled with emotion as the club paid tribute to Eric Roy. The manager, who led Brest into European competition for the first time in their history, died in June following a battle with pancreatic cancer that began around the time of his appointment in January 2023. His diagnosis had not been publicly disclosed.
Roy’s daughter, Victoria-Rose, addressed the crowd on the pitch before kick-off, while people on the sidelines wore “King Eric” shirts and supporters staged further tributes throughout the match. Brest captain Hugo Magnetti later said the team had played in Roy’s memory. “He would have been proud of us, but he would have also ticked us off for missing some big chances,” he said.
At times, the football itself seemed secondary to the emotion surrounding the occasion, although the result still carried significance. Despite PSG’s victory, concerns over declining “ambition and motivation” intensified, while several important players continued to show signs of uncertainty. There were nevertheless brief displays of exceptional quality, and Luis Enrique will hope those moments become more consistent as the campaign develops.
Quick Guide
Ligue 1 results
Show
Lille 2-0 Troyes
Le Mans 2-2 Lens
Brest 0-1 PSG
Strasbourg 1-1 Monaco
Auxerre 1-0 Nice
Le Havre 0-0 Angers
Lorient 2-2 Toulouse
Paris FC 0-0 Lyon
Rennes 1-0 Marseille
Key discussion points
Will Still and Auxerre have collected their first points of the season, helped by young English striker Cameron Archer. The Southampton loanee marked his debut last weekend with a spectacular goal during a 3-1 loss to Lyon. He followed that effort by scoring the winner against Nice this weekend. The result lifts Auxerre from the bottom of the Ligue 1 standings and leaves Nice in last place instead. Still searching for their first victory, Nice have scored only once in four matches. Coach Olivier Pantaloni believes “traces” of last season’s troubled campaign remain in his players’ minds. Those memories must be overcome quickly if the club is to avoid another difficult year.
Pressure is already building in Marseille after only four matches. Their campaign began positively with a 4-0 home victory over Strasbourg, but defeats against Monaco, Paris FC and Rennes have followed. None of those losses is disastrous in isolation because each game was competitive and all three opponents are expected to challenge for European qualification. “We can rival these teams but not yet beat them,” Bruno Génésio said after Friday’s 1-0 defeat in Rennes. Génésio also suggested that defining the club’s ambitions was the responsibility of those above him, delivering a pointed message to the hierarchy. “We may need to explain things more clearly,” he added. “Maybe we have to say it so that people can understand.” The squad’s limited quality and depth already make the situation clear: Marseille remain outsiders in the contest for a European place.
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