After a disappointing performance against Liverpool culminating in a 1-0 defeat, Paris Saint-Germain heads to Rennes (11th place) on Saturday for Matchday 25 of Ligue 1, just four days ahead of their crucial Champions League clash at Anfield in search of a comeback and a spot in the quarter-finals.With an impressive 23-match unbeaten streak, PSG had dominated the playing field against Liverpool on Wednesday, yet they found themselves thwarted by goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who made several key saves. The French side suffered a late blow when Harvey Elliott scored the only goal of the match in the 87th minute, marking Liverpool’s only shot on target.”Football can be unfair, and we have to accept that. One team was clearly superior, and Alisson made five extraordinary saves,” noted PSG’s coach, Luis Enrique.”It will be an intense atmosphere, but we have nothing to lose; we’ve overturned similar situations before,” he added, likely referencing last year’s arduous quarter-final stage when his team fought back from a 3-2 home loss to Barcelona, winning 4-1 in the return leg.
However, first up is a trip to Brittany to take on Rennes. PSG enjoys the luxury of a comfortable 13-point lead over second-placed Marseille in Ligue 1, allowing Enrique the flexibility to rest some players.
Among those who might get a breather is Ousmane Dembélé, who, after failing to score against Liverpool, has not found the net for the second time in 2025. The converted winger has tallied 18 goals since January 1.Meanwhile, Lille (5th), the other French team competing in the Champions League Round of 16, will host bottom-placed Montpellier, who are on a five-match losing streak and have managed to score just one goal. This follows Lille’s promising 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund in their recent outing.
In addition, the Nice-Lyon match that concludes the weekend’s action on Sunday will see both teams without their head coaches, as Franck Haise and Paulo Fonseca serve suspensions. Fonseca received a record punishment, sidelining him for almost nine months until November 30, after a confrontation with the referee. Haise is serving his second of three games suspended for critiquing the officiating during Nice’s 2-1 defeat to Saint-Brieuc in the Coupe de France.
