Alexandre Lacazette scored twice as Lyon enjoyed the biggest winning scoreline of the first day with a 4-0 thrashing of Nice.
Lacazette opened the scoring after just 12 minutes but Remi Garde's side raced away with the match in the second half. Clement Grenier added a second eight minutes after the break and Lacazette got his brace after 67 minutes with Yoann Gourcuff adding a stunning free-kick in injury time.
Valenciennes opened their season with an emphatic 3-0 win over 10-man Toulouse at the Stade du Hainaut.
The Nord region club impressed and surprised on their way to an 11th-placed finish last term and the early signs point to another successful season following tonight's one-sided encounter. There appeared to be a case of mistaken identity when Uros Spajic was dismissed for a foul in the 35th minute. Maor Melikson converted the penalty but Steeve Yago had been the man under suspicion from the VA players in the build-up.
Perhaps rattled by the events of the first half, Toulouse allowed their hosts to pull away to a comfortable victory as Jose Saez and Gregory Pujol helped themselves to a goal each after the break.
A goal by Filip Djordjevic and a Julian Palmieri own goal saw Nantes claim a 2-0 victory over Bastia in their first match back in Ligue 1 as both teams finished the opening match of the season with 10 men.
Nantes' Jordan Veretout was given a second yellow card for arguing with the referee before Bastia were reduced to 10 men when Araujo Ilan was sent off for violent conduct.
Mevlut Erding scored a late winner as Rennes got a 2-1 victory against Reims.
Vincent Pajot put the home side ahead in the eighth minute but saw his early score cancelled out just before half-time by Grzegorz Krychowiak. However, Erding ensured Rennes got their season off to a winning start when he slotted a low shot past Reims goalkeeper Kossi Agassa in the 84th minute.
Elsewhere, Divock Origi's first-half goal ensured that Rene Girard's reign as Lille manager got off to a winning start with a 1-0 victory against Lorient.
Evian were unable to hold on to an early lead at the Parc des Sports as they drew their first match of the season 1-1 against Sochaux.
Fabrice Ehret put the home side ahead in the fourth minute and Evian kept the visitors at bay for 50 minutes before Roy Contout netted the equaliser.
