French Ligue 1 starts with goal-ridden Matchday 1

 

PSG's Neymar scores in the match against Caen.

     Ligue 1, the highest tier of French football league system, is underway and there have been many goals, much drama, and a whole lot of action on the first matchday of the 2018/19 season.

       The league kicked off as Marseille went against Toulouse, winning 4-0 on the first match. Goals were provided by superstar Dimitri Payet at 45' and 62', Valére Germain at 89' and Florian Thauvin at 90+2'. 

       Monaco faced Nantes in the second match, scoring with Rony Lopes at 69', Stevan Jovetić at 80' and "El Tigre" Radamel Falcao at 83'. Nantes' Emiliano Sala scored one at 90+2', but no further goals meant the match ended 3-1.

       St-Étienne played Guingamp in a match that, although it was more sided with the latter, ended 2-1 in favour of the Greens. Tunisian star Wahbi Khazri opened for St-Étienne at 45', but Marcus Thuram equalised at 56' with a well placed penalty. But Loïs Diony won the match for the Greens, scoring from a header at 80'. 

       OGC Nice lost to Stade Reims 0-1, with Moussa Doumbia scoring a spectacular bottom-corner goal in the second minute.

       Montepellier hosted Dijon, but the match did not end in favour of the hosts. Though Pedro Mendes scored for them at 5', Júlio Tavares equalised at 51' and Senou Coulibaly sealed the win with an extra time goal.

       Angers vs Nîmes was a lively match, as both teams fought hard for the win. Sada Thioub opened for the visitors at 4', but the hosts scored three consecutive goals, Pierrick Capelle at 33', Angelo Fulgini at 51' and Ismaël Traoré at 55'. The visitors then opened fired, Clément Depres at 76' and Renaud Ripart at 85'. An own goal by Romain Thoman at 88' sealed the win for Nîmes.

       Lille faced Rennes and won 3-1. Rennes' Clément Grenier opened at 43', but the hosts scored three goals; Lebo Mothiba at 45', Nicolas Pépé at 54' and Jonathan Bamba at 68'; to open their season with a win.

       Lyon then went against Amiens, winning 2-0 as Bertrand Traoré and Memphis Sepay scored at 24' and 75' respectively.

       Bordeaux lost to Strasbourg 0-2, as the visitors goals came by Ibrahima Sissoko at 68' and Nuno da Costa ten minutes later.

       Paris Saint-Germain then defeated Caen 3-0, with Neymar, playing his first full season for them, opening at 10' while Adrien Rabiot and Timothy Weah added goals at 35' and 89' respectively.