Thanks to a brace from Ferran Torres, PSG secured a draw in Rennes.
Trailing 2-0 against Rennes until the 71st minute on Sunday evening game, PSG avoided defeat thanks to a brace from their champion of champions Ferran Torres (2-2), who came on at halftime.
From New York to Rennes. Just over a month after scoring his last goal and securing the World Cup for Spain against Argentina national team (1-0, after extra time), Ferran Torres made a winning premiere for PSG team on Sunday evening match in Rennes (2-2), scoring a brace. Coming on at halftime, the former Barcelona player helped the capital club salvage a draw in an unexpected and ruinous away match.
Apart from Nuno Mendes’ suspension for the team, compensated by Lucas Hernandez, Luis Enrique fielded his strongest starting lineup at kickoff, but Frank Haise had devised a perfect game plan based on a very compact 4-1-4-1 game formation, tight off the ball and ready to attacking on every turnover. And, from the very first counter-attack, Sebastian Szymanski validated this strategy by opening the goal scoring with a crisp strike from 20 meters.
Just like in Lens (0-1) for the Trophée des Champions, PSG team found themselves chasing the game against an efficient team, fair, and generous opponent, without ever really managing to create any real danger. Worse still for Paris club, Rennes remained with eleven men and even scored a second goal just before halftime play, following up on PSG’s best chance, which Ousmane Dembélé missed his chances on (37th minute). A minute later, Rennes delighted their fans: a backheel from Mousa Al-Tamari with his back to goal, a perfect cross from Przemyslaw Frankowski, and a first-time finish from their star striker Esteban Lepaul (38th minute). Lethal.
Luis Enrique was fired up at halftime play, and he spared only one player of his attacking trident after the break: Désiré Doué, PSG’s most in-form player this season competition and the most active in the first half, with a goal disallowed for offside (21st minute). Ousmane Dembélé, once again disappointing the team, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, less notable, were replaced by the new signings Ferran Torres and Mika Godts, respectively. These were bold and effective choices by Enrique. Ferran moved to the right, Doué into the center, and Godts played as “Kvara.” This new trio took some time to gel but showed promise. Initially overlooked by Doué on a diving run, which further annoyed Enrique, Ferran was rewarded for his activity after the match, particularly in depth, with his brace, a well-managed one-on-one (71st minute) and a header (82nd minute), and each time from gifts by Fabian Ruiz, from both the right and the left side.
