Torres, the hero of the Paris night: he came on with the score at 2-0 and turned everything around in 12 minutes

Ferran Torres rescued Paris Saint-Germain from what had looked a certain defeat. The Spain forward struck twice in the second half to earn his side a 2-2 draw at Stade Rennais, a thrilling contest that swung wildly after PSG had trailed by two goals until the closing minutes.

The match closed the opening round of fixtures in the French league. Rennes led 2-0 by half-time through Sebastian Szymanski in the 10th minute and Esteban Lepaul in the 38th, only for Torres to turn the game on its head with a brilliant second-half display.

Rennes started strongly and cashed in on one of their counter-attacks. Szymanski collected a pass from Adrien Thomasson on the edge of the box and lashed a powerful shot off the post and into the left corner of Matvei Safonov’s goal to hand the hosts the lead.

PSG tried to hit back quickly but ran into a resolute Rennes defence and a superb display from goalkeeper Brice Samba, who beat away several dangerous efforts as Luis Enrique’s players spurned more than one chance to level.

Rennes made them pay. Frankowski burst down the left flank in the 38th minute and crossed for Lepaul, who turned it in from close range for the second.

At the break, Luis Enrique acted. He threw on Mika Godts and Ferran Torres for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele in a bid to save his side.

Torres repaid the faith. He pulled one back in the 71st minute, collecting a through ball from Fabian Ruiz inside the box before firing past Samba to drag PSG back into the game.

The Spanish striker was not done. Fabian Ruiz swung in a cross from the left towards the far post in the 83rd minute, and Torres rose to head home the equaliser and complete his brace.

Rennes went in search of a winner late on. Ludovic Blas almost restored their lead, only for Willian Pacho to clear his header off the line, and Blas’s final shot flashed just wide of the post.

The draw earned both sides a point to open their French league campaign. Torres stole the spotlight, transformed from a half-time substitute into the man who saved PSG from a defeat that had loomed large.