A ruined pitch in Paris, two Rennes goals in Brittany, and Ferran Torres off the bench

PSG were supposed to open the season at home. A summer of exceptional heatwaves in the Paris region, plus a fungal infection in the surface, left the Parc des Princes pitch unusable, and the LFP's competitions committee moved the fixture to Roazhon Park after a site visit. Rennes became the home side days before kick-off.

Rennes took the invitation seriously. Sebastian Szymański scored at 9', Esteban Lepaul made it 2-0 at 38', and the champions went in at half-time two down in a stadium they were never meant to be visiting.

Ferran Torres: two shots, two goals

Ferran Torres came on at half-time and scored at 71' and 82'. Two shots, two goals, one point saved.

PSG had 70% of the ball and 665 accurate passes at 90%, against Rennes' 250 at 78%. For forty-five minutes it bought them nothing. Rennes defended deep, broke fast and finished — 1.07 expected goals and two actual ones.

The champions finished on 1.91 xG and five shots on target. That is not a bad night's work. It is a bad first half, followed by a substitute fixing it.

Match facts

• Venue moved from the Parc des Princes to Roazhon Park by the LFP competitions committee, the pitch ruled unplayable
• 9' — Sebastian Szymański (Rennes)
• 38' — Esteban Lepaul (Rennes)
• 71' — Ferran Torres (PSG)
• 82' — Ferran Torres (PSG)

What's next

PSG start their title defence on one point, away from home, off the back of a comeback. Rennes start on one too — and with the knowledge that they were forty-five minutes from beating the champions in a game they were not supposed to be hosting.

The point at Roazhon Park was not a one-off

Two matchdays later, the same pattern repeated itself almost beat for beat. Lille led 2-0 at the Pierre-Mauroy with six minutes left, Olivier Giroud having set up both goals, before Vitinha struck at 90+1' and Marquinhos headed in at 90+5' to make it 2-2 again. On matchday 3, PSG were the ones who took the early lead for once, Marquinhos scoring after 31 minutes against Monaco, and it still was not enough — F. Jacinto Dos Názinho and S. Idumbo Muzambo both scored in the second half, and this time there was no stoppage-time rescue, PSG losing 1-2 for their first defeat of the season.

Three matchdays in, PSG have conceded the last goal of the game in every single one of them. At Roazhon Park it cost them the win. At Lille it cost them the win again. Against Monaco, with no goals left to score, it cost them the match.

Rennes turned the point into two wins

Esteban Lepaul, who had put Rennes 2-0 up against PSG at the 38th minute, was among the scorers again a week later: he opened the scoring in the 5th minute against newly promoted Le Mans, then won and converted a stoppage-time penalty to make it 3-2 after Le Mans had come back from 2-0 down to level it at 2-2. On matchday 3, Rennes won again, 1-2 away at Angers, going 2-0 up inside 17 minutes through P. Frankowski and a J. Lefort own goal before holding off a C. Arcus reply.

Two wins from two since the draw with PSG put Rennes 5th in Ligue 1 on 7 points after three matchdays, in the Europa League qualification spot, level on points with Lille in 4th and only behind Lyon and Paris FC in 2nd and 3rd. PSG, by contrast, sit 14th on 2 points with a goal difference of -1 (5 scored, 6 conceded) — the champions still have not won a Ligue 1 game in three attempts.