PSG fall from high against Rennes

After eight consecutive successes, PSG conceded their first loss of the season in Ligue 1, Sunday in Rennes (2-0), which punished the ineffectiveness of the Messi-Neymar-Mbappé trio. Five days after a convincing success against Manchester City (2-0) in the Champions League, PSG stumbled when he least expected it. Under a blue sky, coach Mauricio Pochettino has aligned his eleven type, with Gianluigi Donnarumma, hoping to extend the beautiful dynamic of a collective that is starting to form. But Paris has forgotten the essential in Brittany: to score.

Success for the Reds and Blacks

Although dominating in the first period, the Parisians multiplied their clumsiness against goalkeeper Alfred Gomis, one of the Rennais in the afternoon. When Kylian Mbappé deceived the Senegalese (68th), his goal was canceled by video arbitration assistance (VAR), for an offside at the start of the action. This decision was celebrated by the audience at Roazhon Park, who felt that the wind of success was behind their team, as in August 2019 (2-1 victory) or in May 2021 (1-1).

But the Bretons also provoked their luck, by signing a performance full of energy and intensity which ended up erasing the magic of Lionel Messi who lost his first match as a Parisian. The formation of Bruno Genesio scored two goals in quick succession, straddling halftime, with ideal timing for them, “which hurt psychologically” at PSG, as Pochettino admitted. First of all, just before the break (45th), by Gaëtan Laborde, who overtook Nuno Mendes to take back the center of Kamaldeen Sulemana.

Flavien was in good shape

The top scorer in Ligue 1 (6 goals) initiated the 2-0 with an overflow on the right wing. His withdrawal found Flavien Tait (46th) who made the break … 18 seconds after the start of the second period. “A goal like the Playstation!”, Admitted the striker. “PSG should not concede this kind of goal,” grumbled Pochettino for his part. This action highlighted the opportunism of the Bretons as much as it questioned the concentration of Parisians who showed signs of nervousness, like Donnarumma, warned for protest (55th).

This defeat, the first away in the Championship since Lorient (3-2) on January 31, does not threaten the stranglehold in the standings of PSG, which keeps six points ahead of its dolphin Lens. But it falls at a bad time, before two weeks of international break, without meeting to play to evacuate this bad memory. After 15 consecutive Ligue 1 matches with at least one goal, PSG remained silent, not targeting any of their 13 strikes, despite an interesting first period, which confirmed the rise of the “MNM”.

“The best 25-30 minutes of the season,” said Pochettino. But Neymar lost his duel against Alfred Gomis (23rd), soon imitated by Mbappé, alone against the Senegalese goalkeeper after a superb opening from Messi (25th), and Angel di Maria (44th).

Messi finds the bar

Only once has Gomis been beaten. But Messi’s free kick, full axis 25 meters from the goal, crashed on the crossbar (31st). “This is the turning point of the match”, for Rennes coach Bruno Genesio. The sequel shed light on the dark side of the “MNM”, source of imbalances within the tactical system of Pochettino, not after his reflection on the best way to play his superstars.

After the last-minute victories against Lyon (2-1) and Metz (2-1), the reprieve fell for a technician whose decision to replace Neymar, in the 75th minute, did not have the effect discount. Rennes even seemed close to 3-0, with Martin Terrier (61st) and Sulemana (62nd). The Bretons almost benefited from a penalty (81st), initially awarded, before Rudy Buquet defeated himself after consulting the VAR. Finally, something was going in the direction of PSG, but it was far too late.