Lionel Messi got his first taste of defeat as a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) player as the French giants were beaten 2-0 at Rennes on Sunday. Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel di Maria all started for the Parisian but Gaetan Laborde and Flavien Tait got on the scoresheet for Rennes either side of half-time to hand PSG their first defeat of the Ligue 1 season. 

PSG had two great chances to take the lead around the 20th-minute mark but Neymar and Mbappe blasted their respective efforts over the bar.

Messi came close to breaking the deadlock around the half-hour mark with a freekick, but the Argentine’s effort rattled the crossbar. 

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Meanwhile, Laborde took his chance and put the unfancied Rennes in front on the stroke of half-time when he ghosted in the back post and vollied his effort past Gianluigi Donnaruma in the PSG goal. 

The 27-year-old French forward was involved in Rennes’ second goal as well, with his cross being converted by Tait just a minute into the second half to make matters worse for PSG. 

PSG had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside, after Mbappe scored with a low shot into the bottom corner past Alfred Gomis in the Rennes goal.

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A lackluster Neymar was replaced with Mauro Icardi in the 76th minute, but the Argentina striker failed to inspire PSG. 

Infact, things could have been worse for PSG when Achraf Hakimi was adjudged to have fouled Laborde in the box with 10 minutes remaining as the referee pointed to the spot for a penalty. 

But the referee overturned his decision after taking a second look in the VAR monitor. 

PSG are currently top of the Ligue 1 points table, with eight wins from nine games. The win was Rennes’ just third of the season, taking the club to ninth in the standings.