Simon nets first Ligue 1 goal but Paris FC fall heavily to Marseille

Moses Simon scored his debut goal for Paris FC in Ligue 1, but his strike was not enough to prevent the newly promoted side from suffering a 5-2 defeat to Marseille at the Stade Vélodrome on Saturday, Sport360NG reports.

The Super Eagles winger, who joined Paris FC from Nantes this summer, restored parity early in the second half with a composed finish that made it 2-2. His effort briefly raised hopes of an upset before Marseille’s firepower proved overwhelming.

Marseille, runners-up in Ligue 1 last season, set the tone early. Mason Greenwood opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 15 minutes, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang quickly doubled the advantage with a close-range finish.

Paris responded with spirit, reducing the deficit before the break through Ilan Kebbal, who curled a superb effort into the top corner. Moments after the restart, Simon pounced on Kebbal’s clever pass to slot home at the back post, drawing the visitors level.

But the comeback was short-lived. Aubameyang capitalised on defensive slackness to restore Marseille’s lead midway through the second half. Substitute Bilal Nadir then set up Pierre-Emile Højbjerg to fire in a fourth, before Robinho Vaz added a stoppage-time fifth to seal an emphatic victory. Greenwood might have extended the margin further, but his second penalty was well saved late on.

The defeat leaves Paris FC still chasing their first points of the season following their opening-day loss to Rennes. Having waited 46 years to return to the French top flight, Stéphane Gilli’s men have been handed a stark reminder of the challenge ahead.

Paris will look to regroup when they welcome Metz to the capital next weekend ahead of the international break.