A success on the Marseille pitch on Sunday, and PSG had to follow up with another big match, a Coupe de France semi-final against Stade Rennais. A competition which has been fleeing the capital club since 2021 and which is taken very seriously by Luis Enrique and his staff. The proof with a very solid starting eleven, where we found Kylian Mbappé, on the left side. Mbappé, whistled by part of the public during the pre-match, created the first thrill by appearing alone against Mandanda in the 12th minute, well launched by Dembélé. The goalkeeper diverted the shot which ended up on the crossbar. In the process, Kalimuendo alerted Donnarumma, and definitively launched the match.
PSG dominated against a well-grouped Rennes block. And he had to rely on the inspirations of Dembélé to create gaps. The French international often found himself caught in the vice when finishing, and Rennes applied their game plan to perfection, without managing to appear dangerous. Mbappé took advantage of a rare relaxation in the opponent's marking to obtain a penalty by overtaking Omari. The striker wanted to take justice into his own hands, but once again came across a tall Mandanda, who diverted his penalty (37th). Decidedly unhappy number 7? Not so much since on the following action, his shot saw its trajectory deflected by Omari and deceived Mandanda (1-0, 40th).
PSG in total control
Upon returning from the locker room, PSG kept control of the proceedings, with great serenity. And Mbappé once again tested the solidity of Mandanda, with a strong strike at the entrance to the area (57th). The duel of the evening was clearly there, between these two men. And Mbappé, who had started the meeting under a few whistles, also worked defensively to collect applause. Rennes tried to strengthen its game but this came more through mistakes than through sharp actions.
And Luis Enrique? He made a quadruple change in the 75th minute, but this time, Mbappé remained on the field. And despite only one goal in advance, PSG never really shook until the referee's final whistle. Without offering an offensive treat, the capital club delivered a full and serious match from start to finish. Rather encouraging one week before the quarter-final first leg against FC Barcelona in the Champions League. And above all, he will be in the final of the Coupe de France against OL.
Relive the match film
Man of the match: Vitinha (7.5): the Portuguese confirms his takeover in the red and blue midfield. Once again positioned in a sentry role, he was in the oven and the mill. Present in the duels, he recovered a large number of balls on the rare Rennes counter attempts. Installed at the heart of a dominating PSG, he was one of the rotating sores of his team. Delighted with his long game reversals.
PSG
– Donnarumma (6): thanks to the enormous domination of his team, the Italian did not have much to do. But the rare times he had to intervene, he responded, like this save against a point-blank shot from Kalimuendo (13th) and when SRFC pushed at the end of the match.
– Hakimi (5.5): the Moroccan hampered the Rennes defenders by occupying a very high position on the pitch. Positioned almost like an attacker, and rather in the axis, he certainly allowed Dembélé and Lee to combine on the right flank, but he did not create a lot of hot actions for all that.
– Marquinhos (6): absent from the field since February 17, the PSG captain made his comeback. And tonight he was clean. Faced with Rennes playing mainly on the counter, he knew how to contain Gouiri. Replaced by Pereira (75th).
– Hernandez (6): to the left of Marquinhos, the Frenchman also overpowered the Breton attackers without too much difficulty. Strong in duels, he knew how to burst out at the right time in his interventions. Note, however, a little scare on a rough contact with Seidu (81st).
– Mendes (6): preserved by Luis Enrique upon returning from the international break, the Portuguese also made his return to the Parisian starting lineup. On his left side, he attempted some bleeding overflows by combining with Mbappé. But facing a grouped block, he rarely had the room to make his breakthroughs. Replaced by Skriniar (75th).
– Vitinha (7.5): see above.
– Ruiz (6): the Spaniard didn't particularly shine, but he was clean. Positioned to the left of the middle, he mainly saw the game leaning to the right. But when he inherited the ball, he rarely lost it, even if he didn't contribute too much offensively in the first half. When he returned from the locker room, he combined more with Mbappé. Unfortunately for him, his numerous offensive surges were not always accompanied by his partners.
– Zaire-Emery (5.5): the young Parisian nugget did not have a bad match. Valuable in his defensive returns and strong in shoulder duels. Still too neutral, he has not regained his feelings from the start of the season when we saw him breaking the lines. Replaced by Ugarte (75th).
– Lee (5): stuck along the touchline on his right flank, the South Korean did not go up too much during the offensive phases. The fault undoubtedly lies with a Hakimi positioned very high. He didn't make too many technical errors, but didn't weigh in on the attack while the game was leaning in his favor. In the second period, he disappeared from the proceedings. Replaced by Kolo Muani (84th).
– Dembélé (7.5): positioned as a false new, it has simply been everywhere. Free to move in the heart of the game, he delighted in finding numerous gaps through his passing game. Launched Mbappé for the first hot action of the match (12th) before a festival of dribbling in the heart of the area, surrounded by several opponents, but did not target his attempt (26th). Omnipresent, however, he slowed down in the second period. Replaced by Asensio (75th).
– Mbappé (6.5): went out sulking in Marseille, the Bondynois was well established for this other big meeting. Much to Omari's dismay. Launched in depth by Dembélé, the number 7 dropped off the Rennes defender, but his attempt was deflected onto the bar by Mandanda (12th). Scrutinized from everywhere, he thought his evening would become complicated after missing a penalty that he had caused (35th) after a mistake… by Omari. But as usual with him, he was able to find the fault despite his weak times by opening the score thanks to a shot deflected by… Omari (40th). Author of a better match after three complicated matches, he still lacked efficiency by missing two break points (53rd, 58th).
Rennais Stadium
– Mandanda (7): the captain of the evening upset Mbappé. He beat him in a decisive face-to-face (12th), before deflecting his penalty (36th), but was then wrong-footed on the strike from the Parisian number 7, deflected by Omari (40th). In the second act, he again intervened in front of Mbappé (53rd, 58th), then in front of Asensio (79th).
– G. Doué (4): the fullback experienced some difficulties in his lane. Often taken behind his back, the eldest of the Doué siblings needed help to stop Mbappé. Little in sight offensively, he was content to carry out his defensive tasks. Replaced by Seidu (56th).
– Omari (3): the central defender had an unhappy evening. He was overtaken by Mbappé's speed and clipped him in the area, leading to the penalty for Paris. He was once again beaten in his one-on-one duel against the Bondysian, before diverting his shot into the Rennes net.
– Theater (5): the Belgian was certainly the strongest defender tonight. Focused and diligent, Theate was invaluable in his reading of the game and his athleticism. Some recovery errors to note however.
– Truffert (4.5): more offensive than his counterpart on the right, Truffert was very deliberate in his lane, without however focusing on his crosses. Defensively, he was hampered by the permutations between Dembélé, Hakimi and Lee.
– Bourigeaud (5): if he was technically correct as often, Bourigeaud was not decisive this evening, spending a good part of his match zoning out and defending. His crosses did not find a taker, but were very dangerous for the Parisian defense, especially in the second half.
– D. Gifted (5.5): aligned in the midfield this evening, the youngest of the Doué siblings was very active in recovery, and valuable in the first restarts. He had a great burst of energy and was at the initiative of some Rennes movements.
– Santamaria (5): the man in the shadows did the job this evening. Valuable in his interceptions, the former Friborg ensured the balance of his team, even if they spent most of the match chasing the ball. Precise in his short restarts, he did not take any risks with his transmissions.
– Blas (3.5): positioned in the left lane, the former Nantes player never seemed to be in the right rhythm, with technical waste. Uninspired, he gave way to Terrier (56th).
– Gouiri (4.5): Compared to his attacking partner, Gouiri had more waste in his game. He often attempted technical gestures, very useful if they were successful, but he lacked precision in his movements. He has a big opportunity after returning from the locker room (50th).
– Kalimuendo (5): the former Parisian came up against Donnarumma (12th) in his first duel. He was very useful in his play with his back to goal with his deflections, in particular to bring up the Rennes block. He lacked effectiveness in the last gesture, worrying Donnarumma very little on his other attempts in the second act.
