Ligue 1: PSG suffer shock 2-0 defeat against Rennes

Gaetan Laborde and Flavian Tait scored for Rennes to relegate PSG to only their first loss of the season after eight consecutive wins.

Rennes beat PSG 2-0 in the Ligue 1 fixture on Sunday; Credit: Twitter/@PSG_English
By Sreejith C R | Oct 4, 2021 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Paris Saint-Germain suffered their first loss of the season as they were beaten 2-0 at Rennes on Sunday. Gaetan Laborde and Flavian Tait scored for the hosts to secure only their third league win of the season. Meanwhile, it was PSG’s first loss after eight consecutive league victories. Despite losing the match, the capital club stayed on top of the table with 24 points, six ahead of second-placed RC Lens who beat Stade de Reims 2-0 on Friday.

PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino started with a full-strength squad with Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi forming the three-man forward line. Neymar and Mbappe were guilty of missing good opportunities early in the match before Messi struck the crossbar with a brilliantly taken free-kick.

Meanwhile, after resisting all the pressure, Rennes broke the deadlock just at the end of the first half. Laborde netted his sixth goal of the season by volleying home from Kamaldeen Sulemana’s cross. Despite creating opportunities PSG failed to register even a single shot on target in the first half.

Within a minute of the restart, the hosts extended the lead. Laborde was given too much space on the right flank and the Frenchman easily picked up Tait inside the box who fired in at the far post to double the lead.

Messi once again came agonisingly close to scoring with a curling free-kick. A hugely disappointing Neymar was substituted by Mauro Icardi in the 76th minute, but PSG failed to register a shot on target in the second-half also and the match ended in favour of Rennes.

The win helped Rennes to seventh in the table with 12 points. Pochettino admitted that they have yet to find the right “balance”.

“We are sad because we played very well for 25-30 minutes,” the PSG boss told his post-match press conference.

“We did not manage to score the chances we created. Are unhappy but we must continue to work. Of course, we are coming out of a difficult period physically. We have to get over it all. After this negative result, we must make a self-criticism. We cannot be satisfied, but there are also some positive things to keep. We will try to find the right way to play, the right balance.”

Lackluster performance from Neymar

Meanwhile, the former PSG midfielder Edouard Cisse has been very critical of Neymar after the Brazilian had a lackluster performance on Sunday.

“At Barcelona there was a structure,” Cisse told Le Parisien.  “[Neymar] had a cleaner style of play, although he dribbled more. His job was to break the defensive line, make the difference and pass the ball to General [Lionel] Messi. He did it so well that he became his ‘alter ego’.

“In Paris, they gave him the keys and they let him do what he wanted. In one moment, he was lost. He is a great player, no one can dispute that, but he has become a spoilt brat and he bosses everyone around.”

Elsewhere, Lille defeated Marseille 2-0 at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday courtesy of a double from Jonathan David. The win helped Lille to draw level on points with Marseille at 14 points.

David opened the scoring after 28 minutes before completing his brace deep into the stoppage time. The result helped Lille to eighth spot while Marseille are still placed fifth.





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