PSG 1-0 Rennes: 5 talking points as Mbappe's stoppage-time winner seals the win for league leaders | Ligue 1 2021-22

PSG extended their winning run in the league to four games as Kylian Mbappe scored deep into stoppage time to secure a 1-0 win over Rennes.

Rennes are still the only team to have secured a Ligue 1 win over the hosts this season. They played out a solid game last night as well. But Mbappe's goal, set up by Lionel Messi, sealed all three points for the hosts.

While PSG dominated the game in terms of possession, chances were hard to come by. Mbappe hit the woodwork in the first half and also had a goal ruled out for offside.

As the Parisians extend their lead at the top to 16 points, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.

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#5 PSG get their revenge against Rennes

PSG have just one loss to their name in the league this season

PSG have just one league loss to their name this season. Every other side in the division has at least four defeats. They have now opened up a 16-point lead over second-placed Marseille, who have a game in hand.

While the Parisians have enjoyed a solid run in the league, Rennes were the only side to have inflicted a loss on them this season. Rennes secured a 2-0 win over the league leaders at home in October.

So, thanks to this 1-0 win, Mauricio Pochettino's side secured their revenge over Les Rennais, who have proven to be tricky opponents for PSG recently. Rennes have three wins in their last seven encounters against runaway league leaders.

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#4 Both sides fail to impress in the final third

Messi failed to record a shot in target against Rennes

PSG are the top-scoring side in the French top-flight with 52 goals while Rennes are third with 43 goals. So, the game was expected to be a high-scoring affair.

On the flip side, the two sides also boast a good defensive record, having conceded 19 and 22 goals respectively in 24 games so far. In this game, the defensive players came out on top.

Both sides managed to record just one shot on target in the 90 minutes, with the hosts guilty of missing a lot of chances. The visiting side also had 13 attempts in total.

#3 Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe combine for the winning goal

Mbappe scored the 12th goal of the campaign here

Lionel Messi and Mbappe combined yet again for PSG as the Argentine picked up the assist for the Frenchman's winner. The goal was as late as they come, with the hosts taking the lead in the third minute of injury time.

It was a typical counter-attacking goal with Mauro Icardi driving the ball forward through the middle before laying it onto Messi. The Argentine star picked out Mbappe on the left side of the box with some space.

Mbappe, the club's leading goalscorer this season, opened up his body for a better shot at goal and then curled his effort into the back of the net. It was Mbappe's 12th goal of the campaign and the seventh assist for Messi.

Messi has now assisted in consecutive games while it was just his second assist for Mbappe this season.

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#2 Mbappe scores in the dying moment of the game having been denied earlier

Mbappe is PSG's top goalscorer across all competitions

Mbappe finally got his goal in injury time, after being denied twice earlier in the game, once by the woodwork and once by the off-side flag. The winning goal was also the sixth occasion in which he found the back of the net in second-half added time.

It was just the first time such a late goal helped his side record a league win in the league.

Mbappe's first clearcut attempt of the game hit the woodwork in the first half. In the second half, he latched onto Messi's through ball and slotted the ball into the net, but he was flagged offside.

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#1 PSG in great form ahead of their clash against Real Madrid

PSG will face their biggest challenge this season yet against Real Madrid in the Champions League

With their win against Rennes, the French giants have now secured a win over 16 of the 19 other Ligue 1 sides. The French club have hit top form in 2022 and are on a four-game winning streak in the league at the moment.

After the Rennes win, they now head to the Champions League where they will square off against one of the favorites, Real Madrid, on February 15. This will be the toughest test for the French club so far this season.

Messi has two assists in two games while Mbappe has two goals in two, so they might fancy their chances against Los Blancos.