PARIS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Paris Saint-Germain got off to a comfortable start in Ligue 1 title defense with a 3-0 home win over Nimes, and Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen scored a brace to spearhead Lille 2-1 past Nantes on Sunday.
Brazilian star Neymar, who has been involved in transfer rumor throughout the off-season, was not included in the squad. PSG's head coach Thomas Tuchel handed starts to newly-recruited defender Abdou Diallo and midfielder Pablo Sarabia.
Match referee Clement Turpin awarded PSG a spot kick due to Nimes defender Pablo Martinez's hand ball inside the box, and striker Edinson Cavani made no mistake for the reigning champions in the 24th minute.
Kylian Mbappe was the most threatening player in the second half. The 20-year-old PSG striker continued his hot momentum last season, as he collected a cut-back from Juan Bernat to fire home in the 56th minute, and teed up Angel Di Maria's third goal of the match midway through the second half.
As Lyon crushed Monaco by the same scoreline on Friday, PSG and Lyon move forward neck and neck atop the standings with goal difference of three.
Osimhen, signed by last season's runners-up Lille as a replacement for departed Nicolas Pepe, could not have expected a better debut, as he scored in each half en route to the win. His deadlock-breaking goal was cancelled out by defender Zeki Celik's own goal shortly after the restart.
Osimhen chested down a long pass by skipper Jose Fonte, outpaced a Nantes defender and then finished it well past goalkeeper Alban Lafont.
Nantes found an equalizer in the 51st minute with Andrei Girotto's shot taking a deflection off Zeki Celik to beat Lafont's counterpart Mike Maignan.
But the visitors could not restrain the in-form Osimhen, who made the most of Nicolas Pallois' poor clearance to create space for smashing it into the net with 10 minutes remaining.
Also on Sunday, Strasbourg drew promoted Metz 1-1 at home.
