Pacho struggles but PSG rescues 2-2 draw at Rennes as Ferran Torres scores twice

Starting the season with a scare is never part of the plan, but in the end PSG walked away with a point that could end up mattering more than it looks. On matchday one of the 2026/2027 Ligue 1 season, the Paris side visited Rennes and came away with a 2-2 draw that had a bit of everything: scares, a course correction and, above all, a roller coaster night for Willian Pacho.

The Ecuadorian started in his usual spot, paired with Marquinhos at the heart of the defense. And it has to be said plainly: the start was rough. Rennes came out with a game plan that unsettled the French champions, and Pacho was one of the players who felt it most. Before the ten minute mark, a stunning goal from Sebastian Szymanski put the home side ahead and forced PSG to push its lines higher to chase the game.

That tactical adjustment came at a cost: the back line was left exposed, and Pacho repeatedly found himself isolated, far from his teammates. It was in one of those moments that the second blow arrived. Mousa Al Tamari won his individual battle and set up the play that ended with Esteban Lepaul making it 2-0. It was an afternoon to forget, at least up to that point.

The second-half response

With the match slipping away, PSG came out a different team in the second half, and so did Pacho. He looked steadier, winning aerial duels that had gotten away from him in the first half, and building better chemistry with Marquinhos. The substitutions from the Paris bench also shifted momentum, and the team began creating chances with more clarity.

That is when Ferran Torres stepped up, scoring both goals that sealed the final 2-2. But if there is one image to remember from this turnaround in spirit, it is Pacho putting his body on the line late on: standing on the goal line, he prevented what would have been Rennes's third goal with a crucial intervention to preserve the draw.

Growing into the game, as often happens with him, the Ecuadorian national team defender once again showed why he is considered one of the most solid center backs in his position, even on a night when he started far from his best form.

For Rennes, meanwhile, Elías Legendre did not see any minutes in this league debut. There is no rest in the schedule: PSG will play again on Friday, August 28, against Lille, while Rennes will travel to face Le Mans a day later, on Saturday, August 29.