A promising fixture between the up coming team from Britanny, Stade Rennes currently third in the table and the french capital’s stalion PSG, sitting in mid table in seventh position and hoping to close in on the teams in the top spots. However, Rennes being unbeaten in the league were certainly aiming for the top spot, which they could have clinched if they took the three points with them. PSG one could expect a slight fatigue after a mid-week trip to Sevilla which saw them victorious and thus their confidence surely on a high. It turned out that it was a fairly open game that could have won by either team if they showed some menace. Which, however, that did not materialize. This was a game where there was no offside and only one yellow card for a diver that should have been a penalty for Rennes. Rather, it turned out to be a rather leisurely stroll in the park on a sunny sunday afternoon and 28000 people came to watch it.

Paris, on European duty during the week looked tired at the start conceding space and the ball to Rennes for the opening twenty minutes. Eventually they got themselves into the game and started some promising passing around the defence of the Bretons, only to be denied by too many dribblings (most notably Guilly), which gave Rennes time to sort their defence and stalling PSG’s move. Once the team from Britanny got the ball, they too started quick and fluid passing moves only to be denied by the Parisian defence. Thus a game developed that mostly drifted between the areas, with few chances at either end. Towards the end of the first half one began to feel that a goal for Rennes was coming, it was just a question of time. Half time interrupted their momentum. The second half started with PSG pressing but it came to nothing as again the defence of the visitors stood. On the other side, it was the same picture. Rennes looked promising in midfield but in the so-called final third of the pitch, nothing was produced that looked convincing or even posed a threat to the PSG goal. In the end, it was a deserved draw as both teams seemed to look tired with seventy minutes gone. What both teams seem to lack is a central midfielder or holding player that takes control of the game and instigates their attacking movements. For Paris, Nenê is playing too far on the wing to control a game sufficiently. Mvila, a newly selected French international, could just grow into that role, provided he proves to be more consistent throughout a match.

This was a nice game to watch, provided you’re not infected by the English Premier League where speed is the main ingredient followed by the show of effort of the team and the individual players and the final result of the match. Yet, it looked as though both teams agreed beforehand not to score or at least not to hurt each other too much. Chances were rare, there were only a few shots on target and only a handful of corners.