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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) secured a crucial 3-1 win over Stade Rennais FC (Rennes) in Ligue 1 to keep up pace with the leading pack.
Rennes entered this contest on the back of of a 3-1 win over Nantes in the league last weekend, followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat against Villarreal in the Europa League. Manager Bruno Genesio was eager to stand up to the defending champions and put his best team forward.
The Parisians, on the other hand, faced a couple of disappointing results as they drew 0-0 with Clermont in the league, before being humbled 4-1 by Newcastle United in the Champions League. Luis Enrique looked to put the past behind him and his team as he went with a full-strength combination.
The first half was a fairly evenly-matched affair with both sides creating multiple chances and arriving in key positions in one another's 18-yard boxes. However, PSG were clinical in the final third as they scored two goals in a five-minute burst.
Ousmane Dembele provided an assist for the visitors' first goal scored by Vitinha in the 32nd minute. The Parisians doubled their advantage just four minutes later as Warren Zaire-Emery played Achraf Hakimi through on goal for a simple header to make it 2-0.
PSG carried a two-goal lead into the break.
Rennes were no pushovers and showed fighting spirit in the beginning of the first period. They created a goal from the right flank as Ludovic Blas played it to Amine Gouiri at the far post, where he nodded it in to make it 2-1 after 56 minutes.
PSG hit back just two minutes later to restore their two-goal cushion. Hakimi delivered a teasing ball into the box as Randal Kolo Muani attacked it to score with a powerful shot from close-range to make it 3-1.
The Parisians held onto their advantage and saw out the remainder of the game to secure a crucial win over Rennes. On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5. Vitinha scores a peach of a goal following Dembele's hard work
The Parisians were eager to score early in the first half so they could shift momentum in their favor and exercise control on the game.
However, their attempts of creating scoring chances from crosses did not work as Rennes defended their box from aerial balls pretty well.
The hosts' undoing was Ousmane Dembele, who took one opportunity to drive infield as he faked out a couple defenders with body feints. He carried the ball all the way to the other side and layed it off to Vitinha.
With one shift of the ball to his right, the Portuguese opened up a lovely angle before hitting the ball with the perfect curl and trajectory as it sailed into the top corner to make it 1-0.
#4. Great vision by Zaire-Emery to pick out Hakimi's smart run
Just four minutes after having grabbed a deserved lead, PSG were hungry for more as several players made forward runs. One of them was right-back Achraf Hakimi, who was in the right place at the right time to make it 2-0.
The Moroccan timed his run to perfection as he beat the offside trap with ease. Credit to Zaire-Emery, who spotted the run with one look up and played a pinpoint ball over the defense and straight to Hakimi as he headed it into the net.
#3. Rennes pull one back with a well-worked move
Having fallen two goals behind before the break, Rennes were desperate to find a way back into the game in front of their own fans. This bore fruition in the second period as one cross from the right flank confused PSG's defenders and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Amine Gouiri reacted first at the far post as he nodded in from point-blank range to make it 2-1. Ludovic Blas provided a lovely, teasing cross for the goal.
#2. Kolo Muani seals the deal for PSG with a quick response
Having had their two-goal lead cut short to one, PSG could have been under pressure for the remainder of the game. However, they showed their class as they kept their cool and struck while the iron was hot, restoring their two-goal lead just two minutes after conceding.
Hakimi turned provider this time as he got into a good position on the right flank. He then spotted Randal Kolo Muani's run towards the near post and played a whipped pass ahead of the Frenchman. Kolo Muani ran onto it and smashed it past Mandanda and into the goal to make it 3-1.
#1. Tough night in front of goal for Kylian Mbappe
While he was very effective in carrying the ball forward and drawing defenders onto him, Mbappe lacked accuracy in front of goal.
He attempted nearly half of PSG's total shots, with eight of their 17 shots coming from his boots. However, just three of those attempts were on target as he had three shots blocked and fired two off-target.
Despite being heavily-involved in his team's attacking play, Mbappe could not bag a goal to lift his confidence.
