Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain began their title defence by facing Montpellier HSC on Friday night in the opening match of the campaign.
The match at the Stade de la Mosson pitted the 2012 French league winners against the reigning champions with PSG, under new manager Laurent Blanc, hoping to get their season off to a perfect start.
However, 10-man Montpellier managed to hold on to earn a good point at home.
Read how the action unfolded in our live commentary below.
That's it from me tonight, I'll be back on Sunday to bring you more Ligue 1 action. Until then, goodbye.
So the champions start the defence of their title with a draw. I fancied them to take it in the second half, especially when Montpellier were reduced to 10 men, but the home side defended well and have earned a good point.
FULL TIME: Montpellier HSC 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain
PSG whip a corner in from the right but it is well held under pressure by Jourdren. He could have earned his side a point there.
We'll have three minutes added time.
PSG have a corner. One minute of normal time to go.
Jallet brings a long ball down like an absolute dream on the right. It's just perfect, but then he goes and ruins it by playing a horrible cross out of play behind the goal.
PSG CHANGE The champions make their final change as Adrien Rabiot comes on in place of Lucas.
Five to go in this, can either side find a winner? My money is on PSG, but Montpellier and Cabella can really cause trouble on the break.
CHANCE! Cabella goes for a delicate chip from the edge of the D but it falls over the top of the bar. He was heavily involved in the build-up, and PSG are struggling to deal with him.
It could be a set piece that wins this for PSG, Ibrahimovic, Alex, Silva and Cavani aren't bad targets to aim for.
YELLOW CARD We've had another booking and it goes to Pastore for a late tackle.
PSG CHANGE Hervin Ongenda is brought on for the visitors with Marco Verratti being sacrificed.
CHANCE! It's so nearly a dream debut for Cavani. Pastore whips in a lovely cross from the left towards Cavani at the far post who is destined to score, but the defender comes out of nowhere to knock it out kung-fu style.
PSG are all over Montpellier at the moment, and it looks as if this game is only going to go one way.
RED CARD El Kaoutari is shown a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Pastore that was far too late and is given his marching orders. The game is swinging in PSG's favour at the moment.
Lucas puts a dangerous free kick into the far side of the box but Montpellier hack it away.
PSG CHANGE Ezequiel Lavezzi is making way for the man we have all been waiting to see, Edinson Cavani.
It's about 28 metres out midway between the edge of the box and the D.
YELLOW CARD Tiene is booked for tripping Lucas. Good position for a free kick for PSG now.
The game is finely poised at the moment. It's gone a bit quieter. We have just over a quarter of the match left, and Edinson Cavani is about to come on.
MONTPELLIER CHANGE Emanuel Herrera comes off as Victor Montano comes on.
YELLOW CARD Ibrahimovic is chopped down from the back, Abdelhamid El Kaoutari is punished for being the culprit.
The champions are level, and of all the people to find them an equaliser, it comes through the left-back Maxwell. Pastore chips another delightful pass into the edge of the six-yard box from the middle of the half where Ibrahimovic wins the header, and Maxwell blasts in the ball at the far post into the roof of the net. Game on!
GOAL! Montpellier HSC 1-1 Paris Saint-Germain (Maxwell)
MONTPELLIER CHANGE Anthony Mounier is brought off while Jonas Martin is introduced.
CHANCE! It's Lucas who has a go this time and it is mighty close. He gets it over the wall and it is dipping towards the near top corner but lands just on top of the net.
Another free kick in a wonderful position for the champions. The same as before but a few yards closer. Ibrahimovic and Lucas over this.
Still end to end stuff. First Alex manages to boot the danger clear from a lively Cabella, before Ibrahimovic is just too short to reach Pastore's nice cross.
CHANCE! Good chance for Herrera. Cabella heads the ball on. Herrera ran in behind Silva and blast the ball over the bar.
YELLOW CARD Camara is shown a yellow for a foul on Verratti.
End to end stuff at the moment, PSG play some lovely stuff around the box but fail to get an effort away, and then Montpellier can break and do the same thing at the other end.
Just to let you know, Cavani is warming up.
CHANCE! Ibrahimovic goes for it and it isn't far away. He opts to hit a low dipping effort which sails just past the far post. Bright start from PSG.
PSG have a free kick in a very promising area. This is Ibrahimovic range. Central, 30 yards out.
No changes at the break, so we'll have to wait a little bit longer before seeing Edinson Cavani.
PSG GET THE SECOND HALF UNDERWAY!
We're almost ready to go again.
And now the Montpellier players are heading out of the tunnel.
PSG are making their way back out onto the field, they felt that Ibrahimovic was fouled in the build-up to the Montpellier goal. It's iffy, but they still should have dealt with it anyway.
How long will it be before Laurent Blanc introduces Cavani?
I wonder how many expected this. Montpellier lead at the break through a lovely Cabella finish. The PSG players are complaining to the referee at the interval, but that won't help them. They have been wasteful.
HALF TIME: Montpellier HSC 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain
Montpellier have a corner on the left, but they fail to beat the first man.
PSG are still battling, but Montpellier look likely to go into the break ahead. Cavani anyone?
A big warning that to PSG, Montpellier do look nifty on the break, and Cabella is at the heart of everything.
CHANCE! It's so close to being 2-0 here as Cabella runs at the PSG Defence to the edge of the box, and from a central position, prods the ball towards the far post. It beats Sirigu, but creeps just wide of the far post.
Lucas takes the free kick, which is almost just a short corner if you were playing hockey, but it is headed away comfortably at the near post. Waste.
PSG break down the left and win a free kick on the touchline after a foul on Lavezzi from Stambouli. Chance here.
YELLOW CARD Verratti goes into the book for a stupid tug on the back of Cabella's shirt as the Montpellier man was gunning down the left on the break.
PSG are growing into this match, Montpellier haven't had a chance to get forward in a while.
CHANCE! First real effort of the game other than the goal and it comes from Ibrahimovic. He allows the ball to roll in from the left and unleashes a low effort towards the near post from the edge of the box. Jourdren hurls himself low to his right and pushes it away.
Although his physical presence is definitely a strong part of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's game, he's got to be careful he doesn't lose his cool tonight.
Pastore chips a free kick into the box towards Ibrahimovic at the far post. He is causing all sorts of problems with his strengths, and forces Montpellier into putting it out for a corner, which was easily caught by Jourdren.
Verratti chops down Cabella but manages to escape the referee's notebook.
Ibrahimovic nearly has a chance as a diagonal ball is play from the right to the far post. He looks ready to smash this in the back of the net, but Congre comes out of nowhere and intercepts the chance with a header. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
Still a terrific atmosphere at the Stade de la Mosson, and why wouldn't there be, Montpellier lead.
As things stand, PSG are currently bottom of the Ligue 1 table...
Montpellier are the better side at the moment, breaking up PSG's play early and are keeping the champions at bay for now.
PSG create a chance through the right-back Jallet, who storms down the right. It opens up for him and he has a strike at goal, but it is wildly off target and into the crowd.
PSG have had most of the ball since conceding, but they nearly allowed Montpellier another sniff at goal through wasteful possession. They've got to be careful at the moment.
Just as I was saying that, the home side take the lead and it's the dangerman Remy Cabella. PSG lost possession in their defence through Ibrahimovic, and a deflected shot falls into the path of Cabella at the far post on the right. Sirigu is closing him down, but Cabella is able to loft the ball over the keeper and into the far top corner for the first goal of the season. Great finish, and Montpellier lead.
GOAL! Montpellier HSC 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain (Remy Cabella)
Neither keeper has been particularly tested so far, but it's been a decent start.
PSG take the free kick from the left touchline and it is flicked on by the first man, but Jourdren is able to hold.
Pastore is clattered from behind twice in the middle of the field inside a minute and he is not happy about it. Congre gets a telling off the second time.
Early points to take away from this match is that the Montpellier crowd are making a great deal of noise, while the long locks of Sirigu have been chopped off over the summer.
Montpellier have a free kick in a decent position on the right side of the penalty area, the ball is whipped in but punched away by Sirigu.
PSG have a half chance to bring the ball forward but the pass is over hit and recovered easily by Jourdren.
THE NEW LIGUE 1 SEASON IN UNDERWAY!
The two teams are out, Montpellier will play from left to right this first half.
Montpellier are wearing their orange and blue home strip while PSG will don their white away strip.
The teams are in the tunnel.
PSG BENCH: Douchez, Sakho, Digne, Van der Wiel, Rabiot, Cavani, Ongenda
MONTPELLIER BENCH: Pionnier, Mezague, Deplagne, Martin, Dabo, Sanson, Montano
Here are the substitutes benches...
So the big news is that Edinson Cavani is only fit enough for the bench. Fellow new boy Lucas Digne is also among the substitutes for the champions while Marquinhos isn't in the squad. Ibrahimovic leads the line in the same lineup that won the Ligue 1 title last year.
PSG XI: Sirigu, Jallet, Alex, Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Verratti, Matuidi, Pastore, Lucas, Ibrahimovic, Lavezzi
And now to the champions...
Montpellier are almost carrying on from where they left off last season in terms of team selection, although Tiene starts against his former side. Keep an eye out for Remy Cabella, who will be the main threat for Montpellier this evening.
MONTPELLIER XI: Jourdren, Congre, Hilton, El Kaoutari, Tiene, Marveaux, Stambouli, Mounier, Cabella, Herrera, Camara
We've got team news in...
PSG are also now under the guidance of Laurent Blanc, after Carlo Ancelotti left for Real Madrid.
Meanwhile all the headlines this summer have surrounded the move of Edinson Cavani from Napoli to PSG for a massive fee of £55m. They also spent £27m on Roma defender Marquinhos, while Lucas Digne has also been brought in after winning the U20 World Cup with France.
It's been a contrasting summer for these two sides. Montpellier have lost main man Younes Belhanda to Dynamo Kiev, whereas John Utaka has gone to Sivasspor. They have managed to bring in Morgan Sanson, Djamal Bakar and Siaka Tiene from Le Mans, Nancy and PSG respectively.
It was quite the contrary for their opponents tonight though, who spent millions on the likes of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to storm to the French title under Carlo Ancelotti.
Last season was quite a year for these two sides. Then-champions Montpellier, having lost star men Olivier Giroud and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, were unable to make it back-to-back titles and had to settle for ninth place in the table.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live commentary from Ligue 1 where Montpellier HSC host champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
