Paris Saint-Germain opened the defence of their Ligue 1 title with a scare at Roazhon Park on Sunday, twice pegged back from two goals down before a debut double from substitute Ferran Torres salvaged a 2-2 draw against Rennes.
It was about as chastening a start as the treble winners could have feared. Rennes, freshly reinforced by January signing Sebastian Szymanski from Fenerbahce, took the lead in the ninth minute when the Polish midfielder rifled a shot past Matvey Safonov to open the scoring.
PSG failed to respond immediately, and Rennes doubled their advantage in the 38th minute through Esteban Lepaul, who converted from close range to send the champions in at the break facing an unwanted opening-day defeat.
Luis Enrique turned to his bench after the interval, and it was new arrival Torres who changed the complexion of the match entirely. The Spanish forward, signed this summer, was introduced in the second half and needed little time to make an impact.
His first goal, in the 71st minute, showcased composure well beyond a first outing for his new club: a controlled touch followed by a finish squeezed between the goalkeeper's legs.
Eleven minutes later, in the 82nd minute, Torres struck again, meeting a cross with a firm header to complete his brace and drag PSG level at 2-2, a scoreline that held to the final whistle.
ONE described the outcome as "a justified point distribution" for both sides, though the report noted PSG appeared disappointed not to have found a winner having come from two goals behind against promoted opposition on the road.
The result leaves the reigning French champions to regroup quickly, with PSG's next Ligue 1 fixture set for Friday against Lille, kicking off at 21:45 in round two of the new campaign.
For Rennes, who invested in Szymanski from Fenerbahce over the winter, the performance offered evidence that their squad rebuild has quality to trouble even the continent's best sides, despite ultimately letting a two-goal lead slip.
