Ruiz strike earns sluggish PSG 1-0 win over Angers

Agency:

Paris St Germain edged past Angers 1-0 in Ligue 1 on Friday as Fabian Ruiz’s second-half strike secured a home victory for last season’s treble winners, who laboured through a frustrating night that included a missed penalty from Ousmane Dembele.

Manager Luis Enrique had cautioned that it would take a few games for his side to find their rhythm, with little pre-season preparation after reaching the Club World Cup final in July, and for now the coach has been proven right.

PSG were dominant and in complete control throughout the game, but they struggled to really threaten the Angers goal, especially in the early stages.

Midway through the opening half, the referee went off injured, giving an animated Luis Enrique a chance to speak to his players.

The replacement official was soon at the heart of the action, awarding a penalty for Marius Courcoul’s foul on Joao Neves.

PSG, however, spurned the perfect chance to unlock the game, with Dembele, who scored 35 goals across all competitions last season, sending his spot kick sailing over the bar, in what was the home side’s first real attempt on goal.

Their only other decent chance before the break came when Desire Doue curled a shot from outside the area, which drifted narrowly past the far post. The goal finally came five minutes after the interval. Doue’s attempt at a pass inside the box was cut out by Angers midfielder Haris Belkebla, but the ball fell kindly for Ruiz who drilled his shot low into the far corner of the net.