PSG are hoping to go one better in Europe this season following their agonising defeat by Bayern Munich in the final in Lisbon in August. But they already face an uphill struggle after losing 2-1 at home to Manchester United on Tuesday, with Marcus Rashford scoring a second late winner at the Parc des Princes in less than 20 months. Prior to that it looked like they would escape with a draw from a disappointing display after Anthony Martial’s own goal had cancelled out Bruno Fernandes’s opener from the penalty spot for the visitors.

With RB Leipzig - who Paris beat in the semi-finals in the ‘Final Eight’ in Lisbon - and Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir still to come in a challenging Group H, Thomas Tuchel’s team need to react to this defeat quickly. However, it is rather ominous to point out that no side has won the Champions League after starting their campaign with a defeat.

“It was a surprise for me because we had had five consecutive victories,” said Tuchel. “It was a performance without intensity on the ball, without aggression. We struggled to win the ball back, there was no counter-pressing. I don’t know why. We must improve.”

It was not just the lack of fans at an empty Parc des Princes which gave the impression all was not well as Paris kicked off their latest bid for European glory against the team who knocked them out in the last 16 two seasons ago.

Cornerstones

This was a PSG side playing a Champions League game without much of the spine of their team going back nearly a decade now, to start of the Qatar era in the capital.

Edinson Cavani left in the summer after his contract expired - he is now at Manchester United but was not involved against his former club. Long-serving skipper Thiago Silva’s departure after the final defeat by Bayern was the most significant though. The Brazilian defender was signed in 2012 just before Paris went into their first campaign in Europe’s elite club competition of the QSI era. Silva scored on his European debut for the club, at the Parc des Princes against Dynamo Kiev, and went on to become a cornerstone of the team throughout the highs and lows of the next eight seasons.

With Marco Verratti - another of those players brought to Paris from Italy by sporting director Leonardo in 2012 - injured and captain Marquinhos - at the club since 2013 - not deemed fit enough to leave the bench, experience of such occasions was sorely lacking from the home defence and midfield. The long-term absence of left-back Juan Bernat to a knee injury cannot be underplayed either.

First home defeat in group stage in 16 years...

With the front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Angel di Maria struggling, the end result was a performance deemed “unrecognisable” according to the front page of sports daily L’Equipe. PSG have now lost at home to United twice in three seasons, but this was their first defeat at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League group stage since a 3-1 loss to CSKA Moscow in December 2004, their last match in the competition before the Qatari takeover.

Not that this result should mark the end of an era, but PSG are now up against it before heading to Istanbul and Leipzig in their next two group matches. Tuchel, who was forced into a tactical alteration at half-time after losing Idrissa Gana Gueye to injury, quickly needs his new signings to settle too. Portuguese international Danilo Pereira did well for much of his debut in midfield but was easily turned by Rashford for the late winner, while Moise Kean struggled to make an impression in attack after being introduced at half-time. There should be much more to come in midfield from Rafinha.

Rennes up against it too

At least Rennes are off the mark, and at least some of their fans were able to attend their Champions League debut. However, the Bretons had to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw with fellow new boys FC Krasnodar at Roazhon Park.

Serhou Guirassy gave Rennes the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half but they were only ahead for three minutes before Cristián Ramírez equalised for the Russians. Visiting goalkeeper Matvei Safonov then frustrated Rennes with a string of saves and the draw means Julien Stéphan’s team are also now up against it, given they must next take on Sevilla and Chelsea in Group E.

“We had several chances to win the game but we were not clinical enough and their goalkeeper was very good, certainly the man of the match for them,” said Stéphan. “We played with ambition and intensity, but it is efficiency that makes the difference.”