PSG entered their Ligue 1 opener as defending French and European champions, but found themselves 2-0 behind against Rennes after an alarming first half.
Luis Enrique responded by replacing Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. One of the players sent on was new signing Ferran Torres, who needed only 45 minutes to change the entire story.
Rennes punish a sluggish PSG
Rennes took the lead after nine minutes. Sebastian Szymanski found space outside the penalty area and beat Matvei Safonov with a shot that went in off the post.
PSG thought they had equalised when Désiré Doué lifted the ball over Brice Samba. The goal was disallowed for offside.
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Estéban Lepaul doubled Rennes’ advantage in the 38th minute. Przemyslaw Frankowski attacked down the right and delivered a low cross for the striker to convert.
The hosts had scored with both their shots on target. PSG controlled possession but lacked sharpness and allowed Rennes to attack open spaces.
Dembélé sent his best opportunity over the crossbar, while Kvaratskhelia struggled to influence the contest. Luis Enrique decided not to wait for an improvement.
Two superstars removed
Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia did not return for the second half. Ferran Torres and Mika Godts replaced them, according to PSG’s official match report.
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The decision was particularly striking because Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Both substituted players had also been important figures in PSG’s second consecutive Champions League triumph.
Fabián Ruiz entered after an hour and became another decisive substitute. In the 71st minute, his pass released Torres behind the Rennes defence.
The Spanish forward controlled the ball and finished past Samba to score on his PSG debut. Twelve minutes later, Ruiz crossed from the left and Torres headed the equaliser into the far corner.
Reuters reported that the two Spaniards dragged PSG back into the match but could not create a winning goal.
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Rennes almost stole all three points in the 86th minute. Willian Pacho cleared Ludovic Blas’ effort off the line and preserved the 2-2 draw.
The debut that changed everything
Torres had joined PSG from Barcelona only eight days earlier. The 26-year-old signed a contract until 2031 and inherited the number nine shirt.
PSG’s announcement highlighted his previous relationship with Luis Enrique, who gave him his senior Spain debut in 2020.
Torres also scored the winning goal in Spain’s 2026 World Cup final against Argentina. His PSG career has now begun with another performance under considerable pressure.
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The forward became only the third player to score twice on his PSG debut. He was the first to achieve it since Zlatan Ibrahimović in 2012, according to Ligue 1.
No reputation guarantees a place
Luis Enrique used the dramatic comeback to warn his entire squad against complacency. Previous trophies, he argued, cannot protect anyone from being substituted.
“Paris Saint-Germain has won nothing,” the coach said in comments published by TuttomercatoWEB.
His point was that a new season resets every player’s position. Training performances and current form matter more than past achievements.
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PSG retained the Champions League against Arsenal in May, as documented by UEFA, but Luis Enrique believes comfort is the greatest threat to continued success.
Removing Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia demonstrated that the warning was not merely intended for younger squad members. Even PSG’s most celebrated names must earn their minutes again.
The comeback rescued one point, but it also revealed something more significant. Luis Enrique is prepared to make ruthless decisions, and Torres has already shown what can happen when somebody else receives the opportunity.
