Torres rescues PSG after Rennes threaten opening upset

Paris Saint-Germain avoided an opening-weekend defeat in Ligue 1 as Ferran Torres marked his debut with two late goals to earn a draw away to Rennes after the hosts had threatened a major upset.

Rennes seize early control

Rennes made the sharper start and were ahead inside the opening nine minutes when Sebastian Szymanski struck, with his effort going in off the post. It set the tone for an impressive first half from the home side, who unsettled PSG and carried a deserved advantage into the interval.

PSG thought they had found a route back when Désiré Doué had the ball in the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. That setback was followed by a second Rennes goal before the break. Przemyslaw Frankowski found room on the right and delivered a low cross that Esteban Lepaul converted to put the hosts firmly in command.

Torres changes the game on debut

PSG increased the pressure after half-time and eventually found the breakthrough with 19 minutes remaining. Torres timed his run well to beat the offside trap, collected a pass from Fabián Ruiz and finished for his first goal since joining from Barcelona.

That strike shifted the momentum. Torres struck again in the 83rd minute, this time meeting another delivery from Ruiz, whose cross from the left created the equaliser. The Spanish pair dragged PSG back from a difficult position, although the visitors could not complete the turnaround with a winner.

Encouragement and warning signs for PSG

For PSG, the comeback offered an immediate reminder of the depth and quality available to them, particularly with Torres making such a decisive impact from the bench. Ruiz also played a central role in the recovery, providing both assists as the visitors finally turned territorial pressure into goals.

Yet there will also be concern at how vulnerable PSG looked in the first half, with Rennes taking their chances and exposing the visitors before the break. On another day, the early deficit might have proved too much to recover from.

Rennes, meanwhile, can take considerable encouragement from a display that had them on course for a statement result. Although they were unable to hold on, their first-half performance showed they were capable of troubling the defending champions.

• Ferran Torres scored twice on his PSG debut
• Fabián Ruiz provided both assists for PSG
• Rennes led through Sebastian Szymanski and Esteban Lepaul
• Désiré Doué had a PSG goal ruled out for offside