PSG dismantle Rennes at the Parc to close back in on Lens
Paris Saint-Germain sent a statement at the Parc des Princes on Saturday night, dismantling Rennes 5–0 to move back to within one point of leaders Lens and push arch-rivals Marseille four points behind in the Ligue 1 McDonald’s table.
PSG respond in style after Monaco setback
Seven days after their defeat in Monaco, PSG “reset the clocks” with their most complete home performance of the season. Luis Enrique’s side suffocated Rennes with their possession game and vertical attacks, and were ruthless whenever space opened up.
Rennes, who arrived in Paris on the back of an almost perfect November and a six-match unbeaten run away from home, initially held firm in a compact 5-3-2. But once PSG found their rhythm, the visitors struggled to live with the pace and variety of the front line.
Safonov stands tall, then Kvaratskhelia breaks Rennes
Rennes could have struck first. Estéban Lepaul forced Matvey Safonov into a superb fingertip save onto the post on 28 minutes, then captain Valentin Rongier drew another outstanding stop from the Russian goalkeeper from the edge of the box.
Those moments proved turning points. Within seconds of Lepaul’s chance, PSG countered remorselessly. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia isolated Przemysław Frankowski on the left, twisted inside past Aït-Boudlal and Rongier and buried a low right-foot shot beyond Brice Samba for 1–0.
Before the break, Paris doubled their lead at the end of a 25-pass, 96-second possession that showcased Luis Enrique’s game model. Bradley Barcola toyed with his marker on the right, slipped João Neves into the channel and the Portuguese midfielder cut back perfectly for Senny Mayulu, who finished on the turn at the near post (2–0, 39’).
Kvaratskhelia at the double, Mbaye’s first, Ramos finishes the job
The second half turned into a controlled demolition job. PSG kept the tempo high, with Mayulu rattling the bar and Kvaratskhelia again drawing saves from Samba.
Just after the hour, the Parc erupted when Ballon d’Or 2025 winner Ousmane Dembélé came off the bench for Kang-in Lee, but it was Kvaratskhelia who struck again. Rennes tried to play out from the back, Lilian Brassier combined dangerously with Samba, Barcola stole in, fed Mayulu, and the midfielder laid the ball back for Kvaratskhelia to thunder a shot under the bar (3–0, 67’).
Rennes’ night worsened when Jérémy Jacquet saw red for a second yellow after a late challenge on Gonçalo Ramos (74’). Down to ten, Habib Beye’s side could only limit the damage as the fresh legs of PSG’s bench took over.
Seventeen-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye then had his moment. Introduced for João Neves, the academy product received the ball in the left half-space, 20 metres out, and curled a superb right-foot strike into Samba’s far top corner (4–0, 88’) for his first ever Ligue 1 goal.
There was still time for a fifth: Dembélé, drifting inside, found Ramos on the edge of the box and the Portuguese striker drilled low through Aït-Boudlal’s legs and inside the right post (5–0, 90+1’), his third league goal of the campaign.
Safonov seizes his chance, Zaïre-Emery hits 150
With Mike Maignan Chevalier absent, Safonov delivered exactly the kind of performance PSG needed from their No.39. Two big saves at 0–0, confident handling on set pieces and sharp distribution underlined his credentials on a night billed as a test for him.
In front of him, Marquinhos and Willian Pacho marshalled the back line calmly, while Lucas Hernandez gave the first Kvara goal its launchpad with an early pass into space.
Further ahead, Warren Zaïre-Emery quietly marked his 150th appearance for PSG – at just 19 years old – with another tireless display, covering both full-back and midfield zones and hoovering up loose balls.
Barcola, without scoring, was involved in almost every dangerous action, with a constant stream of one-on-ones, cut-backs and counters that repeatedly unhinged Rennes.
Table stakes: PSG back on Lens’ heels, Marseille pushed away
Lens’ win at Nantes earlier in the day meant PSG kicked off four points off the top. This emphatic victory trims that gap back to a single point after 15 matchdays and restores momentum before a crucial Champions League trip to Athletic Bilbao.
For Rennes, who had beaten PSG more times than any other side in the QSI era and often enjoyed their visits to the Parc, this was a stark reminder of the margin for error against a Paris team in full flow. Habib Beye’s men remain in the European conversation, but the manner of this defeat – and Jacquet’s red – will leave regrets after a strong run of form in November.
THE STAT
Paris Saint-Germain have scored in 13 of their 15 games, no team has done so more often in the Ligue 1 this season.
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