A week after losing to Monaco (1-0), Paris Saint-Germain returned to Ligue 1 for the 15th matchday of the season with the determination to bounce back. Facing Les Rouge et Bleu was a Stade Rennais FC side brimming with confidence, buoyed by four consecutive victories in the top flight. This form was evident from the opening quarter of an hour, with the visitors playing high up the pitch and showing no signs of nerves, as demonstrated by Przemyslaw Frankowski's attempt in the first minute.
On the other side of the pitch, however, the former Lens player struggled to cope with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's dribbling, who found Bradley Barcola before his shot was blocked at the last minute (19'). Rarely has the intensity been as high in Ligue 1 this season as it was in the first half here, with Paris and Rennes going blow for blow. Estéban Lepaul found himself at the edge of the box and fired a shot that Matvey Safonov managed to deflect onto his post (28'). Immediately afterwards, Paris showed clinical precision, taking advantage of a counter-attacking move to open the scoring after a superb solo run by Kvaratskhelia (1-0, 28')!
The Georgian winger was looking lively and led the way for his team. Rennes remained threatening, however, and Valentin Rongier forced Safonov to make another save from a finely executed set piece (34'). However, much unlike their opponents, Paris were clinical in front of goal, and Senny Mayulu took advantage of some remarkable work from Bradley Barcola and João Neves to receive a pass and double the lead with a right-footed shot across goal (2-0, 39').
This time, the visitors were reeling, and the score at half-time could have been even worse if Lee Kang-In had managed to hit the target (43' and 45+1). After the break, the trend remained the same, with Les Rouge et Bleu looking for a third goal and the Breton side on the back foot. Found by Kvaratskhelia, who was involved in all the good moves, Senny Mayulu came close to scoring a second goal, but his powerful left-footed shot was deflected onto the bar by Brice Samba (49')!
Moments later, the opposing goalkeeper intervened again, this time denying Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was giving Frankowski a nightmare evening (61'). Paris increased the pressure on the Rennes goal, but Brice Samba delayed the inevitable once more by winning his one on one with Bradley Barcola (58'). With their pressing as energetic as ever, the capital club took advantage of their No. 29's turnover from Lilian Brassier to pass to Senny Mayulu and then Kvaratskhelia at the penalty spot, who scored his second goal and sent the Parc roaring for the third time (3-0, 67')!
Still not satisfied, Paris continued to play their football and Bradley Barcola, once again, forced the Rennes goalkeeper into another fine save with a powerful strike (72'). And things weren't getting any better for the visitors, who were forced to finish the game with ten men after Jérémy Jacquet received a second yellow card for a tackle on the ankle of substitute Gonçalo Ramos (74').
Paris then put the game in the hands of their substitutes in the last few minutes, starting with Ibrahim Mbaye, who came in on his right foot from twenty yards out and curled his shot perfectly into the top corner (4-0, 88'). A real gem from our Titi, who was then emulated by Gonçalo Ramos a few minutes later, when the Portuguese centre forward took his chance from the same distance and beat Samba with a low left-footed shot (5-0, 90+1).
Celebrating the last match of the year, the Parc des Princes gave Paris Saint-Germain a fitting send-off as they secured a comfortable victory over Rennes and reinforced their second place in the table, just one point behind leaders Lens.
