Paris Saint-Germain defeated Stade Rennais F.C. 4-0 on Friday at the Parc des Princes, putting behind them a recent string of poor performances. Supporters were treated to some of the most free flowing football Les Rouge et Bleu have shown since the 6-0 dismantling of Stade Malherbe Caen.
There were plenty of world class goals (even Edinson Cavani scored!) and while it was a mostly a positive day for the French champions, things can always be improved. Here is my “Good & Bad” from PSG vs. Stade Rennais:
The Good
Maxwell
Les Rouges et Noir struggled to mount any sort of sustained offense, which allowed Maxwell to forgo his defensive duties and join the attack. The Brazilian left-back bombed forward and contributed to dismantling the Rennes defense. His efforts earned him a 9.2 rating according to whoscored.com but his magnificent goal in the 50th minute was the highlight of the game.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Surprisingly, PSG’s all-time leading scorer hasn’t made my “Good” very often this season but there’s no way I could leave him out this time. His contributions against Rennes include two goals and a beautifully lofted pass to Cavani in the box, which led to Maxwell’s goal.
The Sweden international was quiet throughout the first half, aside from a good free-kick opportunity in the 35th minute, but Ibrahimovic ran riot in the second half, securing Man of the Match with a 9.6 rating from whoscored.com.
The Bad
Benjamin Stambouli
After a season in the Parc des Princes, the Frenchman hasn’t been able to convince anyone. His performance, consisting of mostly back-passes and a few decent interceptions, was easy to forget. To be fair, the former Montpellier HSC man was played out of position, which most likely led to his poor performance. That being said, his through balls were sad and his attempts to join the attack were futile. If Paris have someone to blame for their lack of energy in the first half, it’s him. Once Marco Verratti subbed on for the Frenchman in the 60th minute, the Parisian midfield flowed brilliantly. The immediate impact showed how expendable Stambouli is and how crucial the Italian is to PSG.
Up next for Paris Saint-Germain is GFCO Ajaccio on Saturday, May 7, at the Stade Ange Casanova.
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