'You can’t incriminate my players' - Lionel Messi & PSG flops defended by Christophe Galtier after Rennes upset

• PSG beaten at home by Rennes
• Galtier defended underwhelming team
• Still have a big lead at top of Ligue 1

WHAT HAPPENED? PSG conceded late in the first half and early in the second as they went down at the Parc des Princes in a flat performance from Galtier's team. The likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe underperformed as PSG missed the chance to take another big step towards the Ligue 1 title, but the coach refused to criticise his players. Galtier insisted that they had a difficult task heading into the match due to an injury absentee list that includes Neymar, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and more.

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WHAT THEY SAID: “My players gave everything they had," he said at a press conference. "Put yourselves in my players' shoes, who see eight absentees and walk into a dressing room with academy players who they’ll have seen once or twice in training."

He added: "You can’t incriminate my players on a lack of commitment. That’s not true. You can understand that when you’re 2-0 down to Rennes, that you don’t have a lot of options and that there are a lot of players missing, that there might be some resignation."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The latest upset will see more pressure put on Galtier's shoulders given his side have already crashed out of the Champions League, having lost to Bayern Munich in both legs at the last-16 stage. However, PSG still have a substantial lead at the top of Ligue 1.

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WHAT NEXT FOR PSG? Galtier will hope to have a few of his injured players back after the international break when his men face Lyon on April 2.