On Sunday, Lionel Messi endured his first setback as a Paris Saint-Germain player, as the club’s unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season came to an end with a 2-0 defeat against Rennes. In the first half at Roazhon Park, the Argentina international hit the crossbar with a free kick before Gaetan Laborde volleyed Rennes ahead with his league-leading sixth goal shortly before the break. Rennes doubled their advantage less than 20 seconds after halftime, with Kylian Mbappe’s goal ruled out for offside, ending PSG’s eight-match winning streak in the league this season.
“We didn’t start the match well but then we played the best 25-30 minutes of the season. It’s a shame we didn’t score. We conceded two goals that were hard to take,” said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino.
PSG had not lost in the league since April, when they were downed 1-0 at home by eventual champions Lille last season.
“In general, I’m satisfied, we created a lot of chances. Rennes scored with their first and the goal had a big emotional impact,” said Pochettino.
“I don’t like to lose, there’s a bit of anger. To go 2-0 down after a good period… We’re disappointed not to have finished off what we had. It leaves us a bit bitter and disappointed.”
After missing the previous two Ligue 1 games due to a knee injury, Messi lined up with Neymar, Mbappe, and Angel Di Maria for only his second league start for PSG.
After keeping a clean sheet in PSG’s Champions League win over Manchester City in midweek, Gianluigi Donnarumma was given the nod ahead of Keylor Navas in goal once more.
PSG generated a series of chances midway through the first half, all of which were wasted, in an attempt to maintain up with the club that won its first 14 games under Thomas Tuchel in 2018.
After the ball broke nicely to Neymar inside the Rennes area, the Brazilian skied terribly, and Mbappe scooped over after slipping in behind the home defence.
Messi, who scored a magnificent debut goal for PSG against City on Tuesday, came close to scoring in Ligue 1 on the half-hour, but his curling free-kick from 25 yards clattered the bar.
As Di Maria squared across the six-yard box, Rennes goalkeeper Alfred Gomis made a key save to deny Neymar a tap-in, and PSG paid the price for their wasted chances on the stroke of halftime.
Laborde, a deadline-day signing from Montpellier, hammered a cross past Donnarumma after Kamaldeen Sulemana whipped in a cross from the left.
Rennes, who spent 80 million euros ($92.6 million) on new signings in the summer, more than everyone else in France except PSG, caught the visitors off guard to make it 2-0 early in the second half.
Laborde, who had been freed down the right flank, brought back for Tait to sweep in first time, the goal upheld after a VAR check for offside, and welcomed by a deafening shout from the almost 30,000-strong crowd.
PSG thought to have pulled one back as Mbappe sneaked past Gomis, only for the goal to be chalked out on review.
It could have been even worse for Pochettino’s side if a penalty awarded to Rennes in the closing minutes had not been overturned after replays exonerated Achraf Hakimi of a foul on Laborde.
Instead, PSG must regroup following the international break, which will see Messi and Neymar fly to South America for a gruelling run of three World Cup qualifiers.
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