August 22, (THEWILL) — Paris Saint-Germain maintained their perfect start to the 2025/2026 Ligue 1 season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Angers at the Parc des Princes on Friday evening. Fabian Ruiz’s second-half strike proved the difference in what marked PSG’s first home fixture of their title defence campaign. Luis Enrique’s side now sit atop the table with maximum points from their opening two matches, though the scoreline barely reflected the effort required to break down a disciplined visiting defence.
The opening 45 minutes belonged largely to Angers, whose compact defensive shape frustrated the reigning champions throughout. PSG’s clearest opportunity arrived in the 25th minute when Joao Neves drew a penalty after being fouled by Marius Courcoul inside the area. However, Ousmane Dembele, widely tipped for Ballon d’Or recognition this year, blazed his spot-kick well over Herve Koffi’s crossbar, leaving the home crowd stunned. Yet, it epitomised PSG’s first-half struggles, with their usual fluid attacking patterns disrupted by Angers’ well-organised rearguard action.
The breakthrough finally arrived five minutes after the interval when Ruiz capitalised on defensive confusion to fire home from close range. Desire Doue’s dangerous cross from the right flank caused panic in the Angers penalty area, allowing the Spanish midfielder to react quickest and hammer the ball past Koffi with a swivelling finish. The goal transformed the atmosphere inside the stadium and provided the platform for PSG to control the remainder of the contest.
Nuno Mendes nearly doubled the advantage with seven minutes remaining, his surging run from deep positions culminating in a powerful strike that required an exceptional save from Koffi to keep Angers in contention. Ruiz came agonisingly close to claiming a second goal in the dying moments when his deflected effort cannoned off the right post, but PSG had already done enough to claim all three points. The visitors’ goalkeeper emerged with considerable credit despite the defeat, making several crucial interventions to prevent a heavier margin of victory.
This win continues PSG’s dominant domestic form under Enrique, who has now overseen 15 wins in his last 17 Ligue 1 matches. The narrow margin suggests room for improvement in converting chances, particularly given Dembele’s penalty miss and several other spurned opportunities. With the transfer window still open and European commitments looming, maintaining this winning momentum will prove crucial for PSG’s ambitions across multiple competitions this season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
