Ferran Torres rescued Paris Saint-Germain on the opening weekend of the Ligue 1 season, scoring twice to secure a 2–2 draw against a resilient Stade Rennais side at Roazhon Parc. Playing their first match of the campaign away from the Parc des Princes due to the state of the pitch, the defending French champions fought back from a two-goal deficit after Sebastian Szymanski and Estéban Lepaul had put the hosts firmly in command during a high-tempo encounter.
How Rennes Stunned the Champions Early
Stade Rennais entered the fixture with sharp tactical discipline and immediate vertical threat, catching the visitors off guard in the opening half. Manager Franck Haise saw his side capitalize on their very first counter-attack when Sebastian Szymanski broke the deadlock in the 9th minute with a clean strike past the PSG defense. Rennes continued to frustrate the capital club, seeing a Désiré Doué effort chalked off for offside in the 21st minute before punishing a glaring miss by Ousmane Dembélé. Just moments after Dembélé skied a close-range shot into the stands, Mousa Al-Tamari delivered a clever backheel that allowed Przemyslaw Frankowski to cross for Estéban Lepaul, who doubled the lead in the 38th minute.
Luis Enrique Triggers Halftime Shakeup
Furious with his team’s lack of attacking sharpness and defensive lapses, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique made sweeping tactical changes at the interval. Both Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were sacrificed at halftime, making way for summer signings Mika Godts and Ferran Torres, while Désiré Doué was shifted into a central striker role. The adjustments took time to click, and Rennes goalkeeper Brice Samba produced a stunning reflex save to deny an effort from Warren Zaïre-Emery in the 55th minute.
The Spanish Connection Sparks the Comeback
The turning point arrived through a combination of second-half substitutes as Fabian Ruiz unlocked the Rennes defense in the 71st minute. Ruiz slipped a precise pass through to Ferran Torres, who timed his run perfectly to slot home and cut the deficit to 2–1. The Spanish connection struck again. In the 83rd minute, Ruiz floated a pinpoint cross into the penalty area, where Torres met it with a firm downward header to level the score at 2–2 and complete his brace on his league debut for the club.
Post-Match Assessment and Standings Context
Following the final whistle, Luis Enrique admitted that his squad still requires significant improvement, drawing a sharp comparison to their recent performance in the Trophée des champions. According to post-match comments reported by Swiss outlet Blick, the PSG boss noted that while his team played well against Lens, their intensity and focus in Brittany fell short of expectations. Meanwhile, Rennes manager Franck Haise expressed slight frustration at not claiming all three points after creating late chances, including a defensive clearance off the line by Willian Pacho against Ludovic Blas in the 86th minute.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2026/08/23/image-772dce39-982b-4797-8394-092c3fbab83f-85-2560-1440.jpeg "Photo: eurosport.fr")
Next Fixtures
Paris Saint-Germain will look to secure their first victory of the new Ligue 1 campaign in their upcoming fixture, while Stade Rennais aims to build on their strong opening performance as the domestic schedule continues.
