Kylian Mbappe bagged a late winner as Paris Saint-Germain beat Stade Rennais to maintain their winning streak in Ligue 1.
Paris Saint-Germain extended their winning run in Ligue 1 to four games after securing a narrow win over Stade Rennais on Friday. The victory helps them increase their lead at the top to 16 points, with second-placed Marseille hoping to bridge the gap on Sunday.
As the scoreline suggests, it was a hard-fought affair for PSG, with their opposition showing no respect and making life difficult for Les Parisiens with constant forays into the final third. In response, the hosts were barely able to test Dogan Alemdar in goal, often struggling to create a clear cut scoring opportunity.
While Rennes certainly troubled the PSG defence, utilising the speed and quality of their attacking players such as Gaetan Laborde, Martin Terrier and Benjamin Beaurigeaud, they looked extremely wasteful in front of goal. Only one of their 13 efforts on goal hit the target, whereas PSG’s game truly began after half-time.
The home team started to create more scoring opportunities and even found the back of the net through Kylian Mbappe. However, the goal was swiftly disallowed by VAR due to offside. Mbappe, though, continued to hassle the Rennes defence, eventually managing to score the winner in the final minute of the game.
It was enough to seal all three points for his side, and here at the Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the PSG side in their narrow victory over Rennes.
Keylor Navas: 6.5/10
Keylor Navas had to remain alert throughout the 90 minutes as Rennes applies a lot of pressure going forward. He made an impressive save early on in the game but wasn’t troubled much since the opposition could only muster one shot on target. It led to a relatively easy clean sheet for the PSG goalkeeper.
Achraf Hakimi: 6/10
Achraf Hakimi tried his best to offer menacing runs going forward, but having been assigned a right-back role instead of his favoured right wing-back slot, the defender had to keep check of the opposition’s forays into the flanks. It minimised his utility to an extent, and it is apparent that the Moroccan is being misused by Mauricio Pochettino.
Marquinhos: 6/10
Marquinhos had a less assertive game in defence than usual, which is never a good sign for PSG. The club captain got startled by Rennes’ early pressure, but he eventually settled into the game, helping his team keep a valuable clean sheet.
Presnel Kimpembe: 6/10
Presnel Kimpembe was another PSG defender producing a mixed performance on the night. The centre-back excelled in one-on-one duels with Laborde, but had difficulties intervening in Rennes’ quick build-up play in the final third.
Juan Bernat: 5.5/10
Starting ahead of Mendes, Juan Bernat made a good impression with his forays down the flanks, notably creating an early chance for Xavi Simons. At the same time, the former Bayern Munich man was a liability in defence, and to no one’s surprise, most of the Rennes attacks originated from his flank.
Leandro Paredes: 5/10
Leandro Paredes operated at the base of PSG’s setup, acting as the hub of the midfield. The Argentine, though, never truly had the quality to make an impact. He was disappointing in possession, often conceding turnovers in key areas while struggling to offer much on the creative side of things.
Marco Verratti: 7/10
Marco Verratti was a crucial cog in PSG’s creative play. His ability to move the ball forward, coupled with his technical brilliance, served as the core of the home team’s chance creation. He even found himself in the final third at times, acting as a supporting figure for the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
What a pass from Messi, he and Verratti are the only ones who know how to pass a ball
— Marsh (@TheMessiguyy) February 11, 2022
Julian Draxler: 4/10
While Verratti gave a good account of himself with his creativity, Julian Draxler offered very little. The attacker wasn’t consistent enough and lacked proper decision-making skills in the final third. He was rightly subbed off midway through the second half.
Xavi Simons: 6/10
Xavi Simons was given a rare starting opportunity ahead of Angel Di Maria. The youngster did not impress with his skill and ability on the ball, but he did offer spark and energy in the final third. He also deserves credit for finding himself in scoring situations, although the youngster certainly needs to work on his finishing.
Lionel Messi: 6.5/10
Lionel Messi couldn’t replicate his performance from the last game against Lille, but the Argentine ace was a vital asset to PSG’s creativity. His ability to drift past defenders and find the ideal pass saw him create a few crucial scoring opportunities, with the attacker notably registering the assist for Mbappe’s late winner.
Kylian Mbappe: 7.5/10
Kylian Mbappe had a good game, considering how well the Frenchman utilised the space behind the Rennes backline. He was always a threat due to his ability to drift past defenders and test the opposing goalkeeper. Perhaps most importantly, the attacker continued to fight until the very end and was rewarded with a late winner.
Kylian Mbappe scoring goals in white ? pic.twitter.com/ptiDREQllb
— GOAL (@goal) February 11, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Angel Di Maria: 6.5/10
Angel Di Maria offered more dynamism and creativity in the PSG attack after replacing Draxler midway through the second half.
Georginio Wijnaldum: 6/10
Georginio Wijnaldum wasn’t able to make much of a difference after coming on for Simons.
Mauro Icardi: N/A
A late replacement for Paredes. Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
Nuno Mendes: N/A
A late replacement for Bernat. Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
Thilo Kehrer: N/A
A late replacement for Hakimi. Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
