Torres scores twice as PSG salvage draw in Ligue 1 opener
Paris Saint-Germain opened the new French football season with a 2:2 away draw at Rennes after debutant Ferran Torres scored twice in the second half. Marseille and Lens both won convincingly to top the early standings.
Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain endured a difficult start to the new Ligue 1 season, trailing 0:2 at halftime away to Rennes. The comeback was sparked by Spanish forward Ferran Torres, who began the match on the bench and entered as a second-half substitute for Ousmane Dembele.
Torres struck twice to level the score. In the 71st minute he controlled a difficult pass from Fabian Ruiz and finished from close range, and in the 82nd minute he headed in a cross delivered by Ruiz from the left flank, completing the 2:2 draw.
The match marked the 26-year-old Torres' debut for PSG following his transfer from Barcelona, where he had spent the previous five seasons. The club paid 45 million euros for the striker. Torres became a Spanish national hero this summer, scoring the only goal in the World Cup final against Argentina in July, securing a 1:0 extra-time victory.
Last season's title and the opening round
PSG won last season's Ligue 1 title with 24 wins, four draws and six losses in 34 matches, finishing six points ahead of Lens. Rennes ended that campaign in sixth place.
In the new season's opening round, Marseille and Lens claimed the biggest wins, beating Strasbourg 4:0 at home and Auxerre 5:2 respectively. Lille and Lyon also secured victories, while PSG's draw leaves them sixth in the early table.
