Late Ramos Penalty Earns PSG Dramatic Draw Against Rennes

Goncalo Ramos‘ penalty seven minutes into injury time salvaged a point for Paris-Saint Germain at home to Rennes in their Ligue 1 clash. An otherwise drab game was lit up by an audacious individual run and finish from Amine Gouiri 12 minutes before half-time.

Ramos, who replaced the ineffective Kylian Mbappe, was initially given a penalty in the 84th minute when he fell over Guela Doue’s leg, but the referee reversed the decision and handed the Portuguese star a booking. Ten minutes later, Ramos again went down in the box, falling over goalkeeper Steve Mandanda’s outstretched leg and this time, after initially waving away protests, the official overturned the decision after consulting VAR.

Ramos then sent Mandanda the wrong way from 12 yards with effectively the last kick of the game.

Admittedly winning a domestic title is hardly a big deal for Paris-Saint Germain, but there was a strange atmosphere throughout the match. No discernable positive nor negative reaction for Kylian Mbappe’s first game after his move to Real Madrid was made at least semi-official. The capital club’s star man was very quiet, with a shot just over the bar in the second half his only meaningful contribution before he was substituted 25 minutes from time – a decision he did not appear happy with.

The end of the match was also peculiar. There was little difference to see between the way Ramos went over the leg of Doue for the first penalty awarded or Mandanda for one the referee initially did not give. Yet one earned him a yellow card, the other, eventually, a penalty. There would surely have been more murmurings about decisions always favouring Paris-Saint Germain were the title not a formality for them anyway.

Even if he had not scored, the poise and intelligence he showed in possession outshone the far more illustrious names he shared a field with on Sunday evening. That said, some goals are so good they lift a player’s status and bring him into the public consciousness and see his career rise to a higher plane as a result. Hopefully, this will be one of these goals, just his fourth of the season, but one he will never forget and one which will sit comfortably alongside the best at this storied stadium.

PSG: Donnarumma 6; Hakimi 7, Danilo 6, Beraldo 6, Hernandez 6; Fabian Ruiz 7, Lee Kang-in 6, Vitinha 6; Dembele 6, Mbappe 6, Barcola 6. Subs: Asensio 6, Kolo Muani 6, Ramos 7, Mendes 6, Zaire-Emery 7.

Rennes: Mandanda 6; G Doue 6, Wooh 7, Belocian 7, Seidu 6; Santamaria 6, D Doue 7, Blas 6; Salah 6, Gouiri 8, Kalimuendo 6. Subs: Bourigeaud 6, Truffert 6, Terrier 7, Omari 6.

33′ GOAL! PSG 0-1 Rennes (Gouiri) What a goal from the Algerian! From Rennes’ first effort on target! Faced with four defenders around him he ran away from Beraldo, then pushed the ball one side of Pereira and sprinted the other before poking a finish high into the far corner past Donnarumma.

84′ PENALTY FOR PSG… BUT WAIT! Ramos is brought down by Doue according to the referee. It looks a controversial call. The referee is coming off the pitch to check the video screen… And it gets overturned. And Ramos goes into the book.

90+4′ RAMOS GOES DOWN IN THE BOX AGAIN! Again it feels he was on his way down before running into Mandanda’s leg. The referee sticks with his corner verdict. But he’s soon summoned to the pitchside monitor again… His verdict? Penalty!

90+7′ GOAL! PSG 1-1 Rennes (Ramos): Ramos sends the goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot.