Paris Saint-Germain PSG crashed to their first defeat of the league season as their all-star strikeforce of 5-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar were all left frustrated at Rennes. 
Lionel Messi struck the crossbar with a free-kick, while a Kylian Mbappe’s goal was disallowed by VAR for offside. As if couldn’t get any worse Brazilian superstar Neymar skied a glorious opportunity right in front of goal in an afternoon to forget for the Parisiens.
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PSG actually failed to register a single shot on target and Rennes took full advantage with Nuno Mendes putting a Kamal Sulemana cross into his own net before Flavien Tait made it two. It might have been worse for PSG, who’d won their opening eight league games prior to this setback, when Achraf Hakimi conceded a late penalty, only for VAR to overturn the original decision.
Mauricio Pochettino’s table-topping side went all-out in what always threatened to be a tough away assignment with Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, and Angel Di Maria all starting in a formidable attack.
Rennes were forced onto the back-foot in the early stages with Mbappe appealing unsuccessfully for a penalty after one burst into the box saw him end up in the floor. The ball fell kindly for Neymar just yards from goal in the 23rd minute but the Brazilian shot recklessly and saw the ball fly into the stands with Mbappe, just behind him, frustrated the chance wasn’t left for him.
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But when Mbappe did get a sniff of goal shortly afterward he too blazed over from a promising position. Messi was a whisker away from the breakthrough on 31 minutes when his free-kick 25-yards out cannoned back off the crossbar with Rennes keeper Alfred Gomis beaten. And Rennes would punish these missed chances on the stroke of half-time. Mendes got the final touch under pressure from Gaetan Laborde after Sulemana crossed invitingly from the left.
Rennes had played in the Europa League less than 72-hours earlier but there was no sign of fatigue as they doubled their advantage within seconds of the restart. Laborde turned provider as he stole in behind a dozing Paris defense crossed into Tait to score.
Neymar was hugely disappointing and taken off for Mauro Icardi in a final throw of the dice 15 minutes from time. But he couldn’t muster a shot on target either and Rennes was awarded a late penalty when Hakimi fouled, only for VAR to intervene and save PSG from suffering an embarrassing defeat though it’s first in the Ligue 1.
The defeat by Rennes brings PSG back to earth after their impressive win mid-week in the Champions League against Manchester City. 
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