Ligue 1: Paris FC beat Rennes 4-3 after a wild Jean-Bouin thriller

Paris FC defeated Rennes 4-3 at Jean-Bouin on Sunday in Ligue 1’s seventh round, winning a match that contained four penalties, seven goals and repeated changes of lead. Esteban Lepaul scored three times for Rennes, all from the spot, while Maxime Lopez and Lassine Sinayoko supplied two goals each for the hosts. Sinayoko’s stoppage-time penalty settled the contest after a VAR review.

Paris FC started with Kevin Trapp in goal behind a defence of Yoram Camara, Corellia Coppola, Adama Traoré and Otavio. Lopez and Pierre Lees-Melou formed the midfield, with Ilan Kebbal, Thomas Pagis and Luca Koleosho supporting Sinayoko. Rennes selected Brice Samba, Bryan Reynolds, Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, Anthony Rouault and Mahamadou Nagida in defence, with Sebastian Szymański, Valentin Rongier and Benjamin Bourigeaud’s replacement in midfield and Ludovic Blas, Lepaul and Ibrahim Salah in attack.

The hosts took the lead in the 14th minute. Paris FC pressed forward and Lopez finished the move to make it 1-0. Rennes responded through Lepaul, who converted a penalty in the 29th minute to bring the visitors level. The first half then appeared to be heading towards a draw, but Paris FC struck again in the fourth minute of added time. Sinayoko found Lopez at the far post, and the midfielder’s finish went in off the post for a 2-1 half-time advantage.

Rennes had already threatened through Reynolds, who missed a one-on-one after a precise pass from Rongier. The visitors also thought they had equalised through Szymański, whose low strike followed a cutback from Salah. The goal was cancelled after a VAR review identified a foul by Ciss on Kebbal during the recovery of possession. Paris FC also survived when Koleosho’s effort was blocked on the line after a combination involving Sinayoko and Kebbal.

Rennes levelled again in the 74th minute when Al-Tamari was brought down by Samir Chergui. Lepaul sent Trapp the wrong way from the penalty spot for his second goal. The tie lasted only two minutes at 2-2. Kebbal delivered from the right and Sinayoko converted the loose ball with an acrobatic overhead kick, restoring Paris FC’s lead at 3-2.

The drama continued when Otavio was penalised for a handball after a corner. Lepaul completed his hat-trick in the 88th minute, again choosing his spot successfully against Trapp. The goal put him alone at the top of the Ligue 1 scoring chart with six goals. Rennes then came close to taking the lead for the first time, but Trapp blocked Al-Tamari’s effort after Lepaul released the Jordanian forward behind the defence.

Lepaul injured his ankle during that move and had to leave the field. Rennes had used all its substitutions, so the visitors finished with ten players. Paris FC pushed for a final opening, and Sinayoko went down in the area after a shirt pull from Rongier. Play initially continued, but the referee reviewed the incident at the pitchside monitor and awarded a penalty. Sinayoko converted in the seventh minute of added time, sending Samba the wrong way.

The result places Paris FC in the leading group, level on points with Paris Saint-Germain, Lille and Monaco. Monaco’s 1-0 defeat at Lorient prevented the top of the table from separating further. Rennes remain fifth, one point behind the leaders, after missing the chance to move into first place alone. Paris FC’s home record also underlines the importance of the victory: the club has won seven of its last nine Ligue 1 matches at home, with one draw and one defeat, after going winless in its previous eight home games. Rennes have taken more home points over that period, but Paris FC’s latest performance made Jean-Bouin the setting for another decisive result. The next stage for both teams comes with Lepaul’s ankle injury and the standings still tightly packed at the top.