Paris (AFP)
Rennes overthrew its host, Paris Saint-Germain, the leaders and defending champions, when it beat it 2-0 Sunday at the “Parc des Princes” in Paris in the twenty-eighth stage of the French Football League.
Cameroonian Carl Toko-Ekambi (45) and Arno Kalimwendo (48) scored the two goals.
Rennes succeeded in beating Paris Saint-Germain back and forth this season, repeating the achievement of Monaco in the 2020-2021 season and Nancy in the 2011-2012 season.
Rennes also inflicted the first loss on Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in two years, specifically since its fall against Lille in 2021.
Rennes provided a service to Marseille III, who could now reduce the difference to seven points from the Parisian team, if it beats its host Reims later.
Paris Saint-Germain, who missed eight players due to injury, gave a disappointing performance, and its Argentine star Lionel Messi, who was greeted with boos when announcing his name at the start of the match, found the two things to penetrate the organized defense of Rennes.
In turn, international star Kylian Mbappe had great difficulty penetrating the visitors’ defense, in front of the remarkable brilliance of veteran goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Despite this, Mbappe went to greet the fans at the end of the match, unlike the Argentine flea, who entered the dressing room immediately after the final mouse.
And his coach, Christophe Galtier, said, “Defeat is always annoying. We conceded a goal in the 45th minute from a ball in the depths, and another after we lost the ball and found ourselves 0-2 behind, and therefore the task was difficult. I am not satisfied with this match, but with absences, even if that is not an excuse.” We knew it would be difficult.”
Galtier refused to accuse a journalist of complacency, saying, “My players gave everything, everything they had in their legs. You have the feeling that the players did not do that, but put yourself in the shoes of the players who played the match in the absence of eight mainstays and young players from the academy who had two training sessions.” Only with the big guys. You can’t accuse the players of not giving their all, that’s not right.”
Rennes received an early painful blow by injuring his defender Adrian Trover in the fifth minute, leaving his place for the Norwegian Berger Melling.
Toko-Ekambi, loaned from Lyon, succeeded in giving Rennes the lead in the 45th minute, when he received a ball behind the defense on the edge of the area from Benjamin Borrego, so he prepared it for himself and penetrated into it before hitting it powerfully to the right of Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
And while Paris Saint-Germain entered the second half in search of an equalizer, Rennes hit it with the second goal through Kalimwendo, following a pass from Chimwanya Ogochukwu (48).
Toko-Ekambi almost added the third goal with a powerful shot that passed near the far left post, then Djid Spence singled out goalkeeper Donnarumma inside the area, but defender Chadel Picciapo pushed the ball away at an appropriate time (74).
Messi hit a powerful ball, which was pushed away by the goalkeeper (73).
Toko-Atekambi passed a ball on a plate of gold to the financial substitute, Hamari Traoré, inside the area, and the latter recklessly hit it over the crossbar (79).
And Steve Mandanda continued his brilliance by deflecting a powerful shot by Italian Marco Verratti from outside the area into a corner that did not bear fruit (84).
4) and the Portuguese Ronnie Lopes (38).
Nice also tied with Lorient, with a goal by Gaetan Laborde (77), compared to a goal by Abdel Bamo Meite (30).
Brazilian Lorient defender Igor Silva was sent off directly in the second minute of stoppage time due to a strong tackle, knowing that he had received a yellow card three minutes earlier.
Both teams raised their tally to 44 points in seventh place, with Nice having the advantage on goal difference.
#Rennes #SaintGermains #knot