Rennes held onto top spot in the French first division despite being held to a 0-0 draw at Lens on Sunday, while second-placed Saint-Etienne were unable to capitalize after losing 2-1 at Nice.
A hamstring injury to summer signing Victor Hugo Montano means Rennes are currently without a senior striker and they didn’t threaten until early in the second half, when Lens goalkeeper Vedran Runje saved from Jires Kembo-Ekoko.
Second-bottom Lens procured the clearer chances thereafter, with Toifilou Maoulida and Razak Boukari both unable to convert presentable chances.
Photo: REUTERS
Maoulida squandered a golden opportunity by heading wide from 5m after 20 minutes of the second period, while Rennes goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez clawed away Boukari’s close-range header with six minutes remaining.
The visitors finished the game with 10 men following the late dismissal of substitute Tongo Hamed Doumbia.
Rennes manager Frederic Antonetti regretted “the missing sparkle” from his team.
Asked if he was satisfied with the point he replied: “We’re not in a boxing fight. If it was a bout we would have won on points. In football you have to score goals. We had chances to score but we didn’t manage it.”
Saint-Etienne forward Dimitri Payet celebrated his first France call-up last week and he put his side 1-0 up in the 11th minute at Nice, tucking home a penalty after he had been felled by Nemanja Pejcinovic.
It was Payet’s eighth goal of the season and he nearly followed it up with a ninth, only for his glancing header to hit the post.
Nice looked in danger of being swamped, but the momentum swung in the hosts’ favor when Gonzalo Bergessio was sent off for a clumsy challenge on Eric Mouloungui in the 22nd minute.
The home side drew level early in the second period when Anthony Mounier slammed a beautiful volley into the bottom-right corner from the left-hand edge of the penalty area.
Chaouki Ben Saada put Nice ahead in the 67th minute, beating Jeremie Janot with the aid of a deflection.
It was Saint-Etienne’s first defeat since a 3-1 loss at Paris Saint-Germain on the season’s opening day and allowed Rennes to move two points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Later on Sunday, beleaguered Lyon coach Claude Puel gained some respite when the struggling French giants defeated his former team, Lille, 3-1 to enhance his prospects of persuading Lyon president Jean-Micherl Aulas he should keep his job despite their dreadful start.
Lyon’s third win from nine games was orchestrated by a third minute goal from Lisandro Lopez, who doubled up with a 56th minute penalty after Yoann Gourcuff had sent them into the break leading 2-0 after his first goal for Lyon since moving from Bordeaux.
Lille’s sole response came from Moussa Sow seven minutes into the second half. They didn’t help their cause by going a man down with 20 minutes remaining when Jeremy Pied was sent off.
“It’s a great win because we were up against a great team,” Puel said.
“We were fortunate to open the scoring very early,” he said. “There was quality and character shown by our side. The important thing was to resume well after the [international] break. We are building our reconstruction.”
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