- Rennes maintained its reputation as PSG’s bogey team.
- PSG struggled to extend their nine-point lead at the top.
- Christophe Galtier’s team still had more than 50 minutes to respond.
Rennes maintained their reputation as PSG’s bogey team with a deserved 2-0 victory at the Parc des Princes. Karl Toko Ekambi and Arnaud Kalimuendo scored.
During Sunday’s first half in the French capital, PSG struggled to extend their nine-point lead at the top. Kylian Mbappe came closest for the hosts, but his strike in the 23rd minute was disallowed for offside.
In the final minute of the half, on-loan Lyon forward Toko Ekambi latched on to Benjamin Bourigeaud’s raking ball and shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Both teams were successful with long passes in behind the opposition’s defence.
Kalimuendo’s close-range goal against his former club did not help Kalimuendo’s mood, as the hosts were jeered at halftime and Messi received persistent jeers from the home crowd.
At that point, Christophe Galtier’s team still had more than 50 minutes to respond, but they failed to do so, falling to their first home league loss of the season. Rennes had won three of their previous four games against the champions.
In the first half, Mbappe tried to get behind the Rennes defense, but he was mostly forced to shoot from wide positions, and veteran goalkeeper Steve Mandanda was able to stop him.
Toko Ekambi scored his first goal since joining Rennes in January with a clinical finish against an injury-plagued PSG defense.
Ex-PSG youth Kalimuendo delivered a muffled festival to match the paralyzed quietness when he dispatched Lesley Ugochukwu’s low cross after the hosts unnecessarily hacked up belonging in midfield.
After that, Rennes settled in for a defensive performance to ensure victory, which they did with relative ease.
Within the final ten minutes, Mbappe was denied by a spectacular save from Mandanda, and Messi was booed once more when he shot wide from distance in the final minute.
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