PSG won their first eight games in Ligue 1 and then beat Manchester City, but their vulnerabilities have been clear to see
By Adam White for Get French
Football News
It took just 17 seconds. As half time approached, PSG seemed to have weathered Rennes’ aggressive press and a goal seemed inevitable, as
Lionel Messi took control. But, in just a few seconds either side of half time, PSG were suddenly 2-0 down. Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Marco Verratti, Ángel Di María and Achraf Hakimi all started but PSG failed to muster a single shot on target, with their flaws too easily exposed. Just four days after what had felt like a watershed victory over
Manchester City in the Champions League, Mauricio Pochettino’s team were again shown to be far from complete.
The hope generated by PSG’s previous cornerstone victories in the
Champions League has, eventually, proven to be misplaced. For every landmark win – such as their victory against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals last season – there is a 6-1 defeat at the Nou Camp and a 3-1 loss to
Manchester United. Their display against Manchester City was one of their sturdiest performances in the Champions League. PSG were precise, organised and intelligent. However, Rennes exposed the gaping holes in their team on Sunday lunchtime, suggesting that the win over City may be yet another latest false dawn.