Despite many opportunities to open the scoring, PSG, betrayed by its defense and its lack of realism, lost against Rennes (2-0), Sunday, during the 28th day of Ligue 1.
The end of the Paris Saint-Germain season promises to be long. The Parisian club only has Ligue 1 to occupy its daily life, but no longer shows any sign of domination there. If his 11th title of champion of France seems already acquired with regard to his nine points ahead of his runner-up, Lens, PSG lost against Stade Rennes (2-0), Sunday March 20, during the 28th Ligue 1 day.
It is already his fourth defeat this season, the fourth in 2023, the first at home but the second against Rennes. Christophe Galtier’s men have paid for their recent weaknesses.
A greatly weakened defense
Presnel Kimpembe, Nordi Mukiele, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos: the Parisian defense looks great. The problem is that it is also the players present in the infirmary and not those aligned at the Parc des Princes on Sunday. As a result, Christophe Galtier was forced to tinker by offering a rearguard with five defenders composed, in particular, of young Timothée Pembélé (20 years old) and El Chadaille Bitshiabu (17 years old) or even left-back Juan Bernat, repositioned to the right of central defence.
An experimental composition that logically struggled. Holder for the first time since February 11, Juan Bernat was the unfortunate symbol. His misalignment on Benjamin Bourigeaud’s long ball allowed Karl Toko-Ekambi to open the scoring (1-0, 45th). His loss of the ball in midfield led to the second Breton goal, signed by former “titi” Arnaud Kalimuendo (2-0, 48th).
A glaring lack of bench depth
To try to bring new blood to his team in difficulty, Christophe Galtier had only meager solutions. At kick-off, the average age of the bench was 21.6 years, despite the 29 and 32 springs of the two substitute goalkeepers, Sergio Rico and Alexandre Letellier. Like Warren Zaire-Emery (17), age is not a defect if talent follows, but among the nine substitutes, four have never started in Ligue 1.
It is far too insufficient for a club with the ambitions of PSG. In addition to the five defenders already mentioned, Carlos Soler and obviously Neymar are missing. Christophe Galtier has therefore only made three changes: Warren Zaire-Emery to move to the right piston position which is not his, Renato Sanches who has accumulated only two minutes since February 4 and Hugo Ekitike, who looks more and more like more to a casting error (four goals this season).
Gianluigi Donnarumma not imperial
We don’t know what Keylor Navas, present in the stands of the Parc des Princes, thought, but we could easily guess. Loaned by PSG to Nottingham Forest in order to leave the place completely free for Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Costa Rican goalkeeper must have told himself that he had nothing to envy to the Italian. The latter, who arrived in the capital in the summer of 2021, fails to be reassuring behind a defense that really needs it.
On the opening of the score of Karl Toko Ekambi (1-0, 45th), the former Milanese, slow to go to the ground, touches the ball without having the hand firm enough to push it back. An image that recalls the only goal of the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League when Kingsley Coman scored for Bayern Munich (1-0).
A fatal lack of realism
Before being led to the score, PSG had plenty of opportunities to score the first goal of the game. But Kylian Mbappé (25th, 26th, 40th, 64th) came up against a very tall Steve Mandanda like Lionel Messi (72nd) and Marco Verratti (84th) while Danilo Pereira missed his header (16th).
Paris shot 17 times on goal (against 10 for Rennes) including eight on target. Conversely, the Bretons scored twice on only three shots on target. A glaring difference in realism which had already almost cost PSG dearly, in Brest (2-1). The Parisians finally won thanks to Mbappé, on the 17th shot of the game.