Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe's combined might was not enough to save Paris Saint-Germain from another away defeat, as they fell to Rennes on Sunday, shrinking their lead over second-placed Lens to a mere three points.
PSG started with a formidable attacking duo of Messi and Neymar, bolstered by the introduction of the World Cup's top scorer, Mbappe , early in the second half. Despite their offensive power, the team were only able to manage one shot on target under the torrential rain.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier says he'll use video analysis to better understand what's going wrong with the team before making decisions. Rennes defender Hamari Traore showed how to finish in the 65th minute with a crisp low shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma into the bottom right corner.
Messi sent Mbappe clean through moments later but he decided against curling the ball past goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and instead fired over on his th league appearance. Neymar was anonymous for most of the game, becoming more visible near the end to argue with Rennes defenders when it was too late.
Rennes coach Bruno Genesio's bold move paid off as he selected year-old Lesley Ugochukwu and year-old Desire Doue in midfield, either side of Croatia's Lovro Majer. Rennes stayed in fifth place because it needed to beat PSG by two goals to reclaim fourth on goal difference from Monaco - and to do so without last season's goal top scorer Martin Terrier. He is recovering from a right knee operation and out for the rest of the season.
