Ranking PSG's 5 best players against Rennes | Ligue 1 2021-22
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.
Gianluigi Donnarumma (78.8%) & Keylor Navas (78.4%) have the Highest Save Percentage in the Top 5 Leagues.
Eduardo Mendy (77.1%) who is third
Best 2 Goalkeepers ITW https://t.co/1V08aIF5UD
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.
Juan Bernat is one of those players who, no matter the age, no matter how many knee injuries, he always does his job competently. By no means a world class player but consistent af and very tidy
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.