Rennes-PSG 2-2: Ferran Torres saves Paris with a brace on debut

Ligue 1 · Rennes 2-2 Paris Saint Germain

The Roazhon Park delivers to French football the great spectacle that the first day of Ligue 1 deserved. Rennes-PSG 2-2: a result that encompasses all the charm and contradictions of this just-begun season. Paris Saint-Germain, forced to play the match away at the opponent's stadium because of the unusable condition of the Parc des Princes pitch, gets off to a bad start and finds itself down two goals in the first half, before snatching a draw in the second half thanks to its new Spanish signing.

The match opens early at the 9th minute: Sebastian Szymański picks up a ball at the edge of the box and, with his left foot, directs it to the corner with the complicity of the post. Assist by Adrien Thomasson, who offers the Pole the perfect premise for a powerful and precise left-footed shot. PSG, pre-match favorites, pays dearly for a first half in which, as Luis Enrique himself acknowledged immediately after, situations completely slip out of Paris' control. At 38 minutes comes the Rennes double: Esteban Lepaul takes advantage of a cross by Frankowski and signs the 2-0 that sends the teams into the dressing room with the home side in full control.

The turning point has only one name: Ferran Torres. Luis Enrique chooses to throw him into the fray at half-time, removing Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia. The ex-Barcelona player, who arrived at PSG just on August 15, needs no emotional warm-up: at the 71st minute he receives a precise assist from Fabián Ruiz and pierces Samba with an angled right-footed shot for 2-1. Eleven minutes later, at the 82nd, he replies with a header that seals the definitive draw, again on a service from the same Ruiz, author of an extraordinary performance in just 30 minutes played.

Franck Haise's Rennes had shown a convincing and organized face, capable of exploiting offensive transitions with great clarity. Brice Samba was solid between the posts with 3 decisive saves; Ait Boudlal played a game of great substance with 6 tackles completed. The Breton side, which had ended summer preparation with three consecutive defeats, showed unexpected tactical maturity against the reigning French champions. The draw, however, has the bitter taste of victory slipping away: Rennes was 8 minutes away from the historic upset.

In the post-match, Luis Enrique did not hide the difficulty of the evening: "Ça a été très compliqué", said the Spanish coach, nevertheless praising the five substitutes who changed the match's momentum. Torres, meanwhile, spoke of a special debut but highlighted regret at not having won. The connection with Fabián Ruiz — 2 assists in 30 minutes for the Spaniard — proved already decisive and opens exciting scenarios for the rest of the season.

Key moments

• 9' Szymański opens the scoring with a powerful left-footed shot from the edge that touches the post and nestles in: Rennes surprises the favored PSG right away.
• 38' Lepaul doubles on a cross from Frankowski: Rennes goes into half-time with a two-goal lead that was deserved and built on transitions.
• 46' Luis Enrique's double move at half-time: on come Torres and Godts in place of Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia. The match completely changes face.
• 71' Torres scores on his Ligue 1 debut: precise right-footed shot on an assist from Fabián Ruiz, the 2-1 completely reopens the game at Roazhon Park.
• 82' Ferran Torres' brace: header on another assist from Ruiz, the draw that prevents PSG from a defeat on the opening day of the season.

Player ratings

⭐ Man of the match: Ferran Torres — 8.5 · Doppietta all'esordio in 45 minuti, decisivo e letale in area.

Rennes

• Brice Samba 8.5 — 3 decisive saves, keeps Rennes in the match in the second half.
• Przemysław Frankowski 6 — Assist for the 2-0, good drive, not incisive in defense.
• Charlie Cresswell 6.5 — Tidy, 3 duels won, error-free management.
• Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal 7 — 6 tackles, 7 duels won, wall in front of defense.
• Mahamadou Nagida 6.5 — 4 tackles, 2 successful dribbles, generous but cautioned.
• Valentin Rongier 7.5 — 36 successful passes, engine of Rennes' midfield.
• Mousa Tamari 6 — 4 dribbles, 6 duels, but yellow and substituted before the hour.
• Sebastian Szymański 8 — Splendid goal, 5 tackles, technical driver of Rennes.
• Adrien Thomasson 6.5 — Assist for 1-0, 33 passes, yellow that limits him.
• Issa Soumaré 7 — Dynamic, 7 duels won, good impact as a starter.
• Esteban Lepaul 7 — Goal for 2-0, constant presence in the box, valuable dirty work.
• Ludovic Blas 6.5 — 2 shots in 18 minutes, dangerous but without precision.
• Quentin Merlin 6.5 — One key pass in 12 minutes, clean entry.
• Henrick Do Marcolino 6 — One key pass, too little time available.
• Bryan Reynolds null — Only 2 minutes, impossible to judge.
• Arnaud Nordin null — Only 2 minutes, no impact on the match.

Paris Saint Germain

• Matvey Safonov 6 — Blameless on the goals, little troubled in the second half.
• Achraf Hakimi 6 — 10 duels won, 5 dribbles, but cautioned and imprecise in defensive phase.
• Marquinhos 7 — Personality and 76 successful passes, but yellow at the critical moment.
• Willian Pacho 8 — The most solid of the back line, authoritative in duels.
• Lucas Hernández 6 — One key pass, but in difficulty on Rennes' transitions.
• Warren Zaïre-Emery 7 — 2 shots, good start before substitution at 60 minutes.
• Vitinha 8 — 86 successful passes, 2 dribbles, reference in the build-up.
• João Neves 7.5 — One key pass and 2 tackles in 60 minutes, solid performance.
• Désiré Doué 7 — 5 successful dribbles, 12 duels won, most active of the first PSG.
• Ousmane Dembélé 6.5 — 2 key passes, but substituted at half-time without impacting.
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 6 — Opaque, zero shots, substituted at half-time.
• Ferran Torres 8.5 — Brace on debut in 45 minutes, decisive and clinical in the box.
• Mika Godts 7 — 2 key passes, good mobility, skilled at creating spaces in the second half.
• Fabián Ruiz 7.5 — 2 assists in 30 minutes, supreme technical quality from the bench.
• Maghnes Akliouche 6 — 30 minutes without flair, in the shadows.
• Lucas Beraldo 7 — Secure in 21 minutes on the pitch, manages pressure well.

Match hashtags

#SRFCPSG · #Ligue1 · #FerranTorres · #PSG · #StadeRennais · #FabianRuiz · #Szymanski

Social pulse

#FerranTorres trending in France and Spain on the evening of August 23

PSG fans celebrate the comeback but acknowledge the difficulties of the first part of the match; Rennes supporters feel robbed of a deserved victory. On X the debate is heated both over the performance of the Paris collective and the refereeing and the logistical dispute related to the pitch.

Standings

Dopo la prima giornata, Rennes e PSG si ritrovano appaiate a quota 1 punto in classifica, rispettivamente all'8° e al 9° posto: un pareggio che per i bretoni vale già un segnale d'ambizione, mentre i campioni di Francia sono avvisati — la Ligue 1 2026-27 non si annuncia come una semplice passeggiata.

1. Marseille — 3 pt (1)
2. Lens — 3 pt (1)
3. Lille — 3 pt (1)
4. Lyon — 3 pt (1)
5. Monaco — 3 pt (1)
6. Stade Brestois 29 — 1 pt (1)
7. Le Mans — 1 pt (1)
8. Paris Saint Germain — 1 pt (1)
9. Rennes — 1 pt (1)
10. Lorient — 1 pt (1)
11. Nice — 1 pt (1)
12. Paris FC — 1 pt (1)
13. Estac Troyes — 1 pt (1)
14. Le Havre — 0 pt (1)
15. Toulouse — 0 pt (1)
16. Angers — 0 pt (1)
17. Auxerre — 0 pt (1)
18. Strasbourg — 0 pt (1)

More reports from this round

• Le Havre 0-1 Monaco
• Marseille 4-0 Strasbourg
• Lens 5-2 Auxerre
• Estac Troyes 0-0 Paris FC
• Toulouse 0-2 Lyon
• Nice 0-0 Lorient
• Le Mans 2-2 Stade Brestois 29
• Angers 0-2 Lille

Match stats and lineups

AI-generated report from official stats, press and social media. Ratings are automated editorial assessments.