Newcomers Caen shock Marseille

A late strike from Youssef El Arabi condemned Ligue 1 champions Olympique de Marseille to a shock 2-1 home defeat by promoted SM Caen on an opening day which also ended with Olympique Lyonnais failing to triumph.

Despite falling behind to Nicolas Seube's 53rd-minute effort, OM seemed to be heading for a share of the spoils when Mamadou Samassa finished off Hatem Ben Arfa's chip over the visitors' defence 13 minutes from time. However, there was more drama to come at the Stade Vélodrome and El-Arabi supplied it, silencing the home crowd with a second for last season's Ligue 2 winners on 86 minutes.

Elsewhere, 2009/10 runners-up Lyon could only draw 0-0 at home with AS Monaco FC, while UEFA Champions League play-off contenders AJ Auxerre were held as well. Jean Fernandez's team, who face a two-legged tie against FC Zenit St. Petersburg later this month for a place in the group stage, were leading FC Lorient courtesy of goals from Benoît Pedretti (19) and Anthony Le Tallec (58), only for Arnold Mvuemba to deny the Burgundy club a winning start.

Paris Saint-Germain FC were the biggest winners of the day as Nenê scored on his debut in a 3-1 defeat of AS Saint-Etienne at the Parc des Princes. There was a victory to celebrate for Toulouse FC too, with Daniel Braaten and Paulo Machado consigning Stade Brestois 29 to a 2-0 reverse, while Brest's fellow newcomers AC Arles-Avignon were beaten 2-1 by hosts FC Sochaux-Montbéliard despite taking an early lead.

Lastly, AS Nancy-Lorraine lost Pascal Berenguer to an 88th-minute red card shortly after he had restored his side's lead in a 2-1 win at RC Lens, OGC Nice drew 0-0 with Valenciennes FC and LOSC Lille Métropole contested a 1-1 stalemate with Stade Rennais FC.