Ligue 1 – Mbappé delivers PSG on the wire against Rennes (1-0) before the thrill of Real Madrid in C1

PSG did it again, not Rennes. Mauricio Pochettino’s players again snatched a success in added time by overcoming the Bretons on Friday evening, at the start of the 24th day of Ligue 1 (1-0). Four days before their knockout round of the Champions League against Real Madrid, the Parisians have long purred and stumbled on a very compact block of visitors. However, they ended up finding the fault with the inevitable Kylian Mbappé (90th + 3). Not convincing but sufficient before turning to the C1.

However, this dress rehearsal did not deliver any new lessons. With Leandro Paredes tenured as a sentry and Marco Verratti and Julian Draxler at his side, PSG held the ball well but it was Rennes who quickly fired the first arrows. Martin Terrier and Gaëtan Laborde failed to penalize an error by Marquinhos (4th) then Keylor Navas diverted the crushed recovery from Benjamin Bourigeaud (7th). Baptiste Santamaria then missed the target on a header that was too uncrossed after a corner (14th).

It took half an hour to see PSG threaten the young Breton goalkeeper Dogan Alemdar. It was obviously Mbappé who did it with a shot from the left but not curled enough (35th). Launched by Verratti, the French international returned to the charge five minutes later and aimed better but not yet well enough because the ball hit the base of the opposite amount (40th). Leo Messi, aligned as a center forward, and right winger Xavi Simons, they failed to strike in the first period.

Icardi – Messi – Mbappé, the right combination

Perfectly in place in their camp and rigorous in their 4-4-2, the Rennais also very often cleanly brought out the ball thanks in particular to the technical quality of Lovro Majer. They started the second act well with attempts from Santamaria (46th) then Laborde (57th) before retreating again against Parisian control. Achraf Hakimi was able to serve Mbappé who missed his recovery (62nd), the striker then missed the target on a pass from Draxler (63rd) before being denied a goal for a very slight offside following an opening by Messi (64th).

Coming off the bench in stride (66th), Angel Di Maria and Georginio Wijnaldum contributed almost nothing and the ball essentially circulated in the middle of the field before the entries of Nuno Mendes, Thilo Kehrer and Mauro Icardi (84th). The Argentinian center-forward distinguished himself by launching an axial counter after a guilty ball loss from Rennais who curiously went on boarding in added time. Icardi gave to Messi who found Mbappé on the left of the zone of truth for a low cross shot in front of Warmed Omari, until then imperial, who deceived Alemdar (1-0, 90th + 3).

Paris found the fault on its very first shot on target (12 in total against 13 and 1 on target also on the visitors’ side). Winners of the first leg (2-0), Bruno Genesio’s players failed to repeat the offense and PSG still have only one defeat in the league this season. Mbappé has 12 goals in Ligue 1 in 2021-2022. He will indeed constitute the offensive danger of the Parisians against Real Madrid and can only hope that his partners raise their level.