PSG v Rennes preview
Paris Saint-Germain will look to bounce back from what Luis Enrique described as their “worst match of the season” when they host Rennes at the Parc des Princes.
Luis Enrique’s side suffered only their second Ligue 1 defeat of the campaign last Saturday as PSG were beaten 1-0 at Monaco.
“It’s hard to maintain consistency when you make individual errors. It was our worst match of the season,” Luis Enrique said after the match.
“They deserved it more than we did. It was a bad night for us, a very bad night.”
While arch rivals Marseille also slipped up as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Toulouse, PSG’s loss allowed Lens to move to the top of the table as they won 2-1 at Angers.
Though nobody would bet against PSG continuing their dominance in Ligue 1, they will be keen to avoid any further setbacks in what is, for now, a competitive title race.
Yet Rennes will be no pushovers, as Habib Beye’s side head to the capital in great form.
Indeed, Rennes have enjoyed a superb turnaround to put questions over Beye’s future to bed, reeling off four successive wins to surge up to fifth in the table, just six points behind PSG.
Esteban Lepaul has been the star of the show for Rennes so far, scoring seven goals, though it was experienced midfielder Valentin Rongier who secured a 1-0 win over Metz last time out.
With PSG dealing with injuries and perhaps having one eye on Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Athletic Bilbao, Rennes will hope that the partnership of Lepaul and Breel Embolo, who has four goals, can help them spring a surprise.
But Rennes can forget about the prospect of PSG taking them lightly.
“All teams that come to the Parc des Princes try to cause us problems,” Luis Enrique said on Friday.
“We know their qualities. Tomorrow will be difficult because they are a team that plays very well both with and without the ball.
“They’ve picked up a lot of points, especially in recent weeks with four consecutive wins. But it’s a source of motivation for us rather than a concern.”
PSG v Rennes team news
PSG will be without Desire Doue because of a hamstring strain, while full-back Achraf Hakimi is unavailable due to an ankle problem. The hosts could also be minus the services of Nuno Mendes due to a leg injury.
Midfielder Seko Fofana is still on the sidelines for Rennes because of a muscle issue.
PSG v Rennes predicted lineups
Paris Saint-Germain starting XI: Chevalier; Zaire-Emery, Zabarnyi, Pacho, Hernandez; Neves, Vitinha, Mayulu; Kang-in, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Rennes starting XI: Samba; Ait Boudlal, Jacquet, Brassier; Frankowski, Camara, Rongier, Cisse, Merlin; Lepaul, Embolo
How to watch PSG v Rennes: TV channel, online live streams
Kick-off on Saturday is at 20:05 GMT (15:05 ET / 12:05 PT), with live TV coverage and streaming on Amazon Prime PPV, which charges £2.49 for the game.
Ligue 1 Pass also covers matches, costing £9.99 a month or £39.99 a season.
PSG v Rennes stats
- PSG are unbeaten at home in Ligue 1 since a 3-1 loss to Nice on April 25.
- Rennes have scored at least once in each of their last seven matches.
- PSG are unbeaten in five games against Rennes since the Brittany club did the league double in this fixture in 2022-23.
- There has not been a goalless draw in this fixture since a stalemate in September 2010.
