'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Full of confidence following their massive 5-1 win at Lille last weekend, Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) welcomed Rennes to the Parc des Princes on Friday night.
To everyone’s surprise, Mauricio Pochettino’s men struggled to get a foothold in the game and could not find a winner in the normal 90 minutes. Their blushes were finally saved by a Kylian Mbappe strike from a Lionel Messi assist three minutes into injury time, which sealed a narrow 1-0 win for the hosts.
The win saw PSG go 16 points clear at the top of the table, having played a game more than second-placed Marseille.
PSG, as expected, had more of the ball, but chances in the final third were at a premium. The first real opportunity of the match fell to Rennes in the seventh minute when midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud drew Keylor Navas into action with a header.
For the home side, it was Mbappe who first had a crack at Rennes’ goal. Unfortunately, his curling effort was a smidgen wide of the target.
Mbappe continued to torment the Rennes defense in the second half and saw a dizzying effort hit the side netting. The two teams exchanged a couple of blows, but could not land the knockout punch inside 90 minutes.
Finally, in the 93rd minute, the Paris Saint-Germain No.7 broke the deadlock from a neat Lionel Messi pass, shattering the hearts of away supporters.
It was not the most convincing of displays by PSG but it was certainly enough to clinch them three points.
Here are the top five players who helped them bag maximum points on a cold night in Paris:
#5 Keylor Navas
Picked ahead of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Keylor Navas had the chance to earn some brownie points against a spirited Rennes side on Friday.
The former Real Madrid keeper was not called into action regularly, but the one time he was, the Costa Rican made full use of his athleticism.
Benjamin Bourigeaud’s looping header in the first half was not easy for Navas to deal with, considering the position he was in.
However, the way the PSG keeper corrected his course to keep his side from going behind was commendable.
#4 Juan Bernat
Operating on the left-flank, Juan Bernat put in an impressive shift against Rennes on Friday night.
He carried the ball well, was solid at the back and linked up brilliantly with Kylian Mbappe.
Against Rennes, Bernat made one clearance, attempted one tackle and won five of his six duels.
He also impressed in the final third with two inviting key passes, which probably deserved a little better finishing.
#3 Marco Verratti
PSG central midfielder Marco Verratti is one of the best in his position. With him on the pitch, the Parisians look more poised, they seem more in control.
Rennes midfielders needed to be at their best to keep Verratti’s creativity in check, and props must go to them to achieve the same.
However, that did not keep the Italian maestro from dictating the team’s tempo from the middle of the pitch.
The midfielder had 124 touches, provided 87 passes, including one key pass in the final third. He also shuffled play from one flank to another with his long balls, with five of his six deliveries reaching their destinations.
Verratti needs to be in top shape for PSG to have a shot at beating Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 on February 15.
His performance last night would have surely put a smile on Pochettino’s face.
#2 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi disappointingly failed to hit the back of the net against Rennes on Friday, but was integral to his side’s narrow win.
The Argentine started centrally, but was clearly given a free role. He moved all around the pitch, doing all he could to help PSG.
He carried the ball with grace and used his gifted dribbling skills to good use, completing the most dribbles (4) in the match.
Messi also occupied dangerous positions in the final third and tried to make things happen with his incisive passing. He provided four key passes into the box, which deserved a better end product.
In the 93rd minute, Messi popped up with the match-winning assist for Mbappe, his 14th goal involvement of the season in 20 games across competitions.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner received the ball from Mauro Icardi and had the vision to spot Mbappe’s run down the left of the box. The 23-year-old French forward took care of the rest.
#1 Kylian Mbappe
PSG star Kylian Mbappe was the obvious standout performer for the hosts on Friday night. He kept chipping away at Rennes’ defense until the very end and was handsomely rewarded for it.
His first curling effort, in the first half, was a treat for sore eyes, only narrowly missing the frame of the goal.
The Frenchman came again in the second half and even found himself one-on-one with the Rennes keeper, but couldn’t squeeze the ball in.
His effort finally paid off in stoppage time when he used his pace to burst into the Rennes box.
Having received an inch-perfect pass from Messi, he dispatched a low curler, which had enough power to pierce through Rennes goalkeeper Dogan Alemdar’s resistance.
That's exactly what Mbappe needed before Real Madrid’s trip to Paris next week.
