Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi scores in Ligue 1 Round 16 victory over Rennes, keeping his lead at the top.

Lionel Messi scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Rennes in their Ligue 1 match on Saturday, continuing to lead the league with 24 points from 16 matches.

The Argentine superstar, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, has been in scintillating form this season and his performance against Rennes was no exception.

Messi opened the scoring for PSG in the 28th minute with a powerful header from a corner kick. He then doubled the lead in the 59th minute after receiving a pass from Kylian Mbappe, who had come off the bench earlier in the game.

Rennes struggled to find any real attacking threat throughout the match, with their goalkeeper, Benjamin Kehrer, making several key saves to keep the scoreline level until the final whistle.

Despite conceding two goals, Rennes manager Bruno Genesio praised his team's effort and acknowledged that they were not able to compete with PSG's quality.

"I am very proud of my players," he said. "They gave everything they had but we couldn't compete with PSG."

PSG now have a comfortable lead at the top of the table with 24 points from just 16 matches, leaving them six points clear of second-placed Lyon.

However, the pressure will be on PSG to maintain their momentum going into their next fixture against Marseille on Sunday, as they look to extend their winning run to seven games.

In summary, Lionel Messi's impressive display against Rennes has ensured that PSG remain at the forefront of the Ligue 1 standings, while also highlighting the strength of the competition in France.