Ligue 1 Matchday 25, March 8, 2025
PSG secured a 4-1 victory against Rennes in their Ligue 1 match, a game played between their two Champions League Round of 16 legs against Liverpool. Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos gave PSG a comfortable two-goal lead. Lilian Brassier reduced the deficit for Rennes, but Ousmane Dembélé scored twice in quick succession to seal the win for Paris.
Match Summary
With a significant lead in Ligue 1 and a crucial Champions League second leg at Anfield approaching, PSG coach Luis Enrique opted to rotate his squad for the Rennes game. Key players like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Ousmane Dembélé started on the bench. Warren Zaïre-Emery, celebrating his 19th birthday, was named captain and played as right-back.
Despite fielding a changed lineup, PSG dominated possession, consistently pressuring the Rennes defense. João Neves controlled the midfield, dictating the tempo for PSG. Rennes struggled to create meaningful counter-attacks. Gonçalo Ramos missed an early opportunity, failing to generate enough power in his shot. However, PSG capitalized when Neves took a quick free-kick, passing to Désiré Doué. Doué then found Bradley Barcola, who slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to open the scoring.
Rennes almost responded immediately, but Ludovic Blas’s shot went just wide. Mohamed Kader Meïté, making his first start, came close to equalizing, hitting the crossbar with a header. Early in the second half, PSG extended their lead with a well-executed team goal. Doué delivered an excellent pass to Barcola, who crossed for Ramos to finish, making it 2-0.
Rennes showed resilience and fought back. After Safonov saved Kalimuendo’s shot, Rennes earned a corner. From the corner, Jérémy Jacquet’s header found Lilian Brassier, who scored from close range, narrowing the score to 2-1.
Rennes threatened to equalize, but lacked precision in the final third. Ousmane Dembélé, who came on as a substitute, initially missed a clear chance to restore PSG’s two-goal advantage. However, he quickly made amends, scoring two goals in added time to secure a 4-1 victory for PSG. This win provides a valuable confidence boost before their upcoming Champions League match against Liverpool.
Rennes Player Ratings
Brice Samba – 4
Jérémy Jacquet – 5
Anthony Rouault – 3
Lilian Brassier – 5
Lorenz Assignon – 4
The former Burnley right-back struggled against Barcola’s pace and offered little offensively.
Jordan James –4
Ismaël Koné – 4
Ludovic Blas – 5
Adrien Truffert – 4
Mohamed Kader Meïté – 4
The 17-year-old showed promise in his first start against a strong defense. He was isolated upfront with Arnaud Kalimuendo and missed chances. He hit the crossbar with a header and rushed a shot after a Beraldo error. Substituted by Kyogo Furuhashi in the last ten minutes.
Arnaud Kalimuendo – 4
PSG Player Ratings
Matvei Safonov – 5
Warren Zaïre-Emery – 4
Lucas Beraldo – 3
The Brazilian centre-back has been unimpressive, appearing slow and struggling against Rennes’ forwards. His mistake gave Meïté a good chance to equalize. Marquinhos’s place in the team seems secure.
Willian Pacho – 4
Lucas Hernandez – 5
Senny Mayulu – 5
João Neves – 6
Lee Kang-in – 4
Désiré Doué – 7
Playing back at Roazhon Park, the former Rennes academy player was outstanding. He played a key role in PSG’s first two goals and has become an invaluable player.
Gonçalo Ramos – 5
Bradley Barcola – 6