Torres Leads PSG to First Ligue 1 Win; Mbappe Scores Late for Lille

Ferran Torres scored the only goal as Paris Saint-Germain finally recorded their first Ligue 1 win this season, beating Brest 1-0 on Sunday. The reigning champions had struggled early in the campaign, gathering just two points from their first three matches.

Coming off a stunning 6-1 Champions League victory over Slovan Bratislava midweek, PSG found their domestic form thanks to Torres, who recently joined from Barcelona. The Spaniard, who netted a hat-trick in Europe, followed up with a superb strike at Brest’s Stade Francis-Le Ble, bringing his tally to six goals in five games across all competitions.

"What matters to me is always helping the team, regardless of how much playing time the coach decides to give me," Torres said. "Whether that’s through goals, assists, or my work on the pitch."

The victory lifted PSG to eighth place, level on points with hosts Brest, who were unbeaten before this match. Before kickoff, Brest honored their late former coach Eric Roy, who passed away in June due to pancreatic cancer.

The decisive moment came in the fifth minute when Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele backheeled the ball to Torres, who calmly finished just outside the box past goalkeeper Egil Selvik. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia nearly doubled PSG's lead in an exciting first half, but the side also faced setbacks when right-back Achraf Hakimi had to leave the field injured and was replaced by midfielder Fabian Ruiz.

Brest almost equalized early in the second half when Kamory Doumbia’s shot hit the post after a mistake by Nuno Mendes. Moments later, a Brest own goal was disallowed for a foul by Warren Zaire-Emery. Late in the game, PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov made a crucial save, tipping a Pathe Mboup effort wide to secure the win.

Mbappe Redeems Himself for Lille

Earlier in the day, Ethan Mbappe made amends after his midweek Champions League red card by scoring a stoppage-time goal to help Lille claim a 2-0 victory over Troyes. This win propelled Lille to the top of the Ligue 1 standings.

The younger brother of French star Kylian Mbappe had been sent off during Lille’s 3-2 loss to Real Betis for elbowing an opponent. Against Troyes, he came off the bench to score his first goal since December, quietly apologizing to fans for his earlier misconduct.

"He came to his senses after his red card and showed maturity beyond his years; he took responsibility for his actions," Lille coach Davide Ancelotti said. "This week has been very important for him personally, helping him grow as a player and as a person."

Lille have amassed 10 points from 12 since Ancelotti took charge. Their late winner ensured they edged past Monaco and Rennes on goal difference.

Lens Struggles Domestically Despite European Success

Lens, last season’s surprise challengers, are finding Ligue 1 tougher this year. Despite a 3-2 Champions League win over Slavia Prague and beating PSG in the French Champions Trophy last month, Lens has earned just four points from four league games. Their recent 2-2 draw at newly promoted Le Mans leaves them in 10th place.