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Lionel Messi suffered his first loss as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Sunday as his perfect start to the Ligue 1 season ended in a 2-0 defeat at Rennes.
The Argentina star hit the crossbar with a free kick in the first half at Roazhon Park before Gaetan Laborde gave Rennes the advantage just before the break with his sixth league-leading goal.
Flavien Tait scored less than 20 seconds after halftime to double the lead, with Kylian Mbappe seeing a goal ruled for offside as Rennes ended PSG’s streak of eight league wins this quarter.
“We didn’t start the game well, but then we played the best 25-30 minutes of the season. It’s a shame we didn’t score. We conceded two difficult goals to concede, “said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino.
PSG lost in the league for the first time since April, when they were beaten 1-0 at home by future champions Lille last season.
“In general, I’m satisfied, we created a lot of chances. Rennes scored with their first goal and the goal had a great emotional impact, â€said Pochettino.
“I don’t like to lose, there is a bit of anger. Leading 2-0 after a good period… We are disappointed not to have finished what we had. It leaves us a little bitter and disappointed.
Messi lined up alongside Neymar, Mbappe and Angel Di Maria for the second game only, making only his second league start for PSG after missing the last two Ligue 1 games with a knee injury.
Gianluigi Donnarumma got the green light again ahead of Keylor Navas in goal, after keeping his clean sheet midweek in PSG’s Champions League win over Manchester City.
Seeking to keep pace with the squad that won their first 14 games under Thomas Tuchel in 2018, PSG created a series of chances midway through the first half, all of which were wasted.
– The woodwork refuses Messi –
Neymar skied horribly after the ball gently collided with the Brazilian inside the Rennes area and Mbappe was guilty of yet another blatant failure when he turned around after getting behind the defense local.
Messi, who scored a spectacular first goal for PSG against City on Tuesday, came close to marking time in Ligue 1 but saw his 25-meter curling free kick slam the bar at the half-hour mark.
Rennes goalkeeper Alfred Gomis crucially extended his hand to keep Neymar out of play as Di Maria crossed the six-meter penalty area, and PSG paid the price for their missed opportunities on the stroke of mid -time.
Kamaldeen Sulemana whipped up a left cross which was pushed past Donnarumma by Laborde, a Montpellier signing deadline.
Rennes, who spent 80 million euros ($ 92.6 million) on new signings this summer – more than anyone in France, including PSG – caught the visitors cold from the start of the second half to bring the score to 2-0.
Laborde, freed lower right, withdrew for Tait to sweep for the first time – the goal held after a VAR check for offside, and greeted with a deafening roar from a packed house of nearly 30,000 a once it has been confirmed.
Sulemana barely fired a fierce shot, but PSG appear to have pulled one out when Mbappe squeezed past Gomis, only to be noted after review.
It could have been worse for Pochettino’s side if a penalty awarded to Rennes had not been canceled in the finals after reruns exonerated Achraf Hakimi of a foul on Laborde.
Instead, PSG, who remain six points ahead of second-placed Lens, must now reset after the international break that will see Messi fly to South America for a grueling three-qualifying streak in the World Cup.
Hours after the death of former Marseille president Bernard Tapie at the age of 78, Jorge Sampaoli’s side lost 2-0 in Lille as Jonathan David scored twice for the second consecutive league game.
The Canadian joined Laborde at the top of the scorers’ standings after Stade Pierre-Mauroy paid tribute to Tapie, the engine behind Marseille’s victory in the first Champions League in 1993.
Aurélien Tchouameni scored against his former club to propel Monaco to a 3-0 victory over Bordeaux, while winless Saint-Etienne face rivals Lyon in the derby later on Sunday.
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Lionel Messi suffered his first loss as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Sunday as his perfect start to the Ligue 1 season ended in a 2-0 defeat at Rennes.
The Argentina star hit the crossbar with a free kick in the first half at Roazhon Park before Gaetan Laborde gave Rennes the advantage just before the break with his sixth league-leading goal.
Flavien Tait scored less than 20 seconds after halftime to double the lead, with Kylian Mbappe seeing a goal ruled for offside as Rennes ended PSG’s streak of eight league wins this quarter.
“We didn’t start the game well, but then we played the best 25-30 minutes of the season. It’s a shame we didn’t score. We conceded two difficult goals to concede, “said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino.
PSG lost in the league for the first time since April, when they were beaten 1-0 at home by future champions Lille last season.
“In general, I’m satisfied, we created a lot of chances. Rennes scored with their first goal and the goal had a great emotional impact, â€said Pochettino.
“I don’t like to lose, there is a bit of anger. Leading 2-0 after a good period… We are disappointed not to have finished what we had. It leaves us a little bitter and disappointed.
Messi lined up alongside Neymar, Mbappe and Angel Di Maria for the second game only, making only his second league start for PSG after missing the last two Ligue 1 games with a knee injury.
Gianluigi Donnarumma got the green light again ahead of Keylor Navas in goal, after keeping his clean sheet midweek in PSG’s Champions League win over Manchester City.
Seeking to keep pace with the squad that won their first 14 games under Thomas Tuchel in 2018, PSG created a series of chances midway through the first half, all of which were wasted.
Woodwork refuses Messi
Neymar skied horribly after the ball gently struck the Brazilian inside the Rennes area and Mbappe was guilty of yet another blatant failure when he turned around after getting behind the defense local.
Messi, who scored a spectacular first goal for PSG against City on Tuesday, came close to marking time in Ligue 1 but saw his 25-meter curling free kick slam the bar at the half-hour mark.
Rennes goalkeeper Alfred Gomis crucially extended his hand to keep Neymar out of play as Di Maria crossed the six-meter penalty area, and PSG paid the price for their missed opportunities on the stroke of mid -time.
Kamaldeen Sulemana whipped up a left cross which was pushed past Donnarumma by Laborde, a Montpellier signing deadline.
Rennes, who spent 80 million euros ($ 92.6 million) on new signings this summer – more than anyone in France, including PSG – caught the visitors cold from the start of the second half to bring the score to 2-0.
Laborde, freed lower right, withdrew for Tait to sweep for the first time – the goal held after a VAR check for offside, and greeted with a deafening roar from a packed house of nearly 30,000 a once it has been confirmed.
Sulemana barely fired a fierce shot, but PSG appear to have pulled one out when Mbappe squeezed past Gomis, only to be noted after consideration.
It could have been worse for Pochettino’s side if a penalty awarded to Rennes had not been canceled in the finals after reruns exonerated Achraf Hakimi of a foul on Laborde.
Instead, PSG, who remain six points ahead of second-placed Lens, must now reset after the international break that will see Messi fly to South America for a grueling three-qualifying streak in the World Cup.
Hours after the death of former Marseille president Bernard Tapie at the age of 78, Jorge Sampaoli’s side lost 2-0 in Lille as Jonathan David scored twice for the second consecutive league game.
The Canadian joined Laborde at the top of the scorers’ standings after Stade Pierre-Mauroy paid tribute to Tapie, the engine behind Marseille’s victory in the first Champions League in 1993.
Aurélien Tchouameni scored against his former club to propel Monaco to a 3-0 victory over Bordeaux, while winless Saint-Etienne face rivals Lyon in the derby later on Sunday.
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