Lens suffered disappointment on their return to Ligue 1 as Nantes started their season with a 1-0 victory on Saturday night.

Nantes started the match brightly as Serge Gakpe fired wide from the edge of the box just moments before Issa Cissokho was denied by Rudy Riou after targeting the bottom corner from a tight angle.

The hosts offered little going forward for long periods of the match, but were almost ahead in the 28th minute when Yoann Touzghar's long-range strike was tipped wide by Maxime Dupe.

Nantes were on top once again in the early stages of the second half as Fernando Aristeguieta curled wide after evading a couple of challenges from the Lens defenders.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 65th minute when Yacine Bammou met Johan Audel's cross with what would prove to be the match-winning strike.

It was Nantes who looked the more likely to score in the closing stages as the visitors eased to success on the opening night of their new campaign.