PSG 0-2 Rennes: Christophe Galtier's side suffer first home defeat
PSG 0-2 Rennes: Christophe Galtier’s side miss the chance to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1 as goals by Karl Toko Ekambi and Arnaud Kalimuendo secure win for visitors
- Rennes took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Karl Toko Ekambi
- Former PSG striker Arnaud Kalimuendo made it 2-0 three minutes after break
Arnaud Kalimuendo scored against his boyhood club as leader Paris Saint-Germain was beaten 2-0 by Rennes in its first home loss in the French league this season on Sunday.
The win ended PSG’s 35-match unbeaten run in the league at the Parc des Princes.
The 21-year-old Kalimuendo joined PSG’s youth system when he was 9 years old and signed with Rennes last summer looking for more playing time away from the armada of PSG stars. Kalimuendo was under contract with PSG until 2024 but spent the last two seasons on loan at Lens.
Rennes, which had already prevailed in the corresponding fixture in Brittany two months ago, made the most of PSG’s passivity and relied on goalkeeper Steve Mandanda’s decisive saves to produce a clean sheet. Karl Toko Ekambi scored Rennes’ first goal.
PSG looked slow and lethargic, relying in vain on the skills of Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
Rennes inflicted a first home loss of the season in Ligue 1 on Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday
Rennes took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Karl Toko Ekambi’s finish
Former PSG striker Arnaud Kalimuendo made it 2-0 three minutes after the break
Mbappe had two good chances to break the deadlock in the first half but the France star was denied twice.
Mandanda stopped Mbappe’s chipped effort in the 26th minute. The former France ‘keeper then blocked Mbappe’s shot from Messi’s deep pass with a superb reflex save in the 40th.
Rennes waited patiently and took its chance at the stroke of halftime when Benjamin Bourigeaud picked out Toko Ekambi behind the defense. The Cameroon forward controlled the ball with a delicate touch and beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with an angled shot.
PSG players were whistled off the field by some fans, and things got worse when they returned from the locker room.
Kalimuendo made it 2-0 in the 48th after PSG clumsily gave the ball away in midfield. He did not celebrate his goal.
PSG players were whistled off the field by some fans after a lethargic performance
PSG pressed harder as it tried to pull one back but made too many technical mistakes and was vulnerable to counterattacks, with Rennes having the best chances after the interval.
Mandanda was decisive again 10 minutes from time to firmly parry away Marco Verratti’s shot that looked bound for the goal.
PSG is out of the Champions League and the French Cup, meaning it has just the league title left to focus on. Chasing a European spot, Rennes moved up to fifth place in the standings.
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