“My players gave everything they had" - PSG boss Christophe Galtier defends his stars following their 2-0 loss to Rennes

PSG manager Christophe Galtier has come out in defense of his team following their 2-0 loss to Rennes in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Goals from Karl Toko Ekambi and Arnaud Kalimuendo gave the Rennais a shock win at the Parc des Princes as the Parisians were uncharacteristically wasteful on the night.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both started the match for the French champions but were unable to find the back of the net.

PSG finished the match with 60% possession and eight shots on target, five more than Rennes, and yet ended up on the losing side.

Galtier, however, has defended his players, saying they left everything on the pitch. Speaking to the press after the clash, he said (via GOAL):

“My players gave everything they had. Put yourselves in my players' shoes, who see eight absentees and walk into a dressing room with academy players who they’ll have seen once or twice in training."

"You can’t incriminate my players on a lack of commitment. That’s not true. You can understand that when you’re 2-0 down to Rennes, that you don’t have a lot of options and that there are a lot of players missing, that there might be some resignation."

PSG are dealing with plenty of casualties right now with Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and Nordi Mukiele missing the game with injuries, while Neymar and Presnel Kimpembe have been ruled out for the rest of the season.

The Ligue 1 holders enter the break with a healthy seven-point lead at the top of the table with 10 games remaining. Their next league match is at home to Lyon on April 2.

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Pressure mounting on PSG coach Galtier

PSG manager Christophe Galtier has drawn a lot of heat lately, particularly after their Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.

For the second year running, the Parisians went out in the first knockout round of the competition and moreover, failed to score a single goal over two legs as Munich beat them home and away to prevail 3-0 on aggregate.

Now, with a shock loss to Rennes also to contend with, pressure is certainly mounting on Galtier, who has otherwise seen plenty of big results this season, while also getting the best out of Lionel Messi.

But all's not lost yet. PSG are still in the driving seat right now with a seven-point advantage over second-placed Marseille with 10 games remaining in their top-flight campaign.