Nice And Rennes Go Top 5 After Wins

OGC Nice 2-1 FC Nantes

A late goal from Eric Mouloungui was enough to ensure that Nice continued their fine start to the season. Mouloungui’s strike, which came with little over ten minutes remaining, separated les Aiglons from Nantes, who had taken an early lead through Guirane N’Daw before being pegged quickly back by Habib Bamogo (pictured).

It would a typically tenacious performance from Nantes, who committed a number of fouls to break the game up but generally played in a streetwise manner that made life difficult for a young home side.

The opening ten minutes would bring a great deal of encouragement for the guests, as they created a couple of half-openings before eventually taking the lead when N’Daw struck a sweet free-kick into the home net.

Finding it difficult to settle on the ball, Nice had mustered only effort from set-plays of their own. In the very first minute a dangerous kick from David Hellebuyck swung perilously close to the far post while Diakité would also deliver a terrific ball that nearly yielded a goal.

It was, therefore, little surprise that Nice drew level from a deadball position. Again it would be a Hellebuyck delivery that would cause the initial problems, with a slight touch from Bamogo taking the ball off a visiting defender and into the net.

Buoyed by this momentum-shifting goal, Nice pushed on, nearly finding a breakthrough as Mouloungui’s powerful shot from distance was fisted away by alert Nantes custodian, Jérôme Alonzo. Anthony Modeste would clatter an effort narrowly over after good work on the left to create space but openings were scarce.

Quarter of an hour respite for the players changed little. Play would become more evenly balanced, with Nantes enjoying more territory than they did in the first half. Mamadou Bagayoko would be the recipient of the first real chance, midway through the period, however, les Canaris’ number ten could not make the opening count.

When presented with a chance, the home side would be deadlier. Only ten minutes remained when Chaouki Ben Saada beat Gravgaard before releasing Mouloungui, whose low shot was too good for Alonzo.

Nice are now up to fourth after this victory, which proved to be a test of character against a side willing to battle for everything. Elie Baup’s Nantes side perhaps did enough to justifiably claim they were worth a point yet proved one-dimensional in attack.

Stade Rennais 2-1 AS Monaco

Guy Lacombe will have been pleased that his side shrugged off a midweek loss to record another victory in Ligue 1 as goals from Sow and Briand would help them to victory over Monaco, whose response came from Leandro Cufré’s penalty.

Confidence flowed through the Breton side from the outset of the match, despite their late midweek defeat to Le Havre in the Coupe de la Ligue. Evidently there was a real desire in the home ranks to make amends of the unjust loss and, with only three minutes on the referee’s watch, they could have grabbed the lead but Jires Ekoko made a poor decision when in a shooting position.

Pressure would remain firmly on the visiting goal for the opening ten minutes as Jimmy Briand had strong penalty appeals waved away and Moussa Sow had a punching effort blocked by Flavio Roma, who kept goal for les Monegasques due to an injury to regular stopper Stéphane Ruffier.

Although Rennes would not maintain such a grip on the game for the entire first half, there were further chances, with Sow and Fanni both forcing the Italian custodian into action before the interval.

Les Rouges et Noirs’ dominance deserved a half time lead and, with only two minutes before the interval, Sow took advantage of a couple of good breaks to dink the hosts ahead. Nicolas Nkoulou blocked an original shot but the ball fell kindly to the Rennes wide-man, whose initial effort was stopped by Rome but who managed to lob the rebound over the prone stopper.

Nkoulou has enjoyed a tremendous run of form in les Monegasques’ defence since being called into the squad due to an injury crisis. He will have his first real test of character after presenting Briand with a simply chance for the second Rennes goal early in the second half. The defender made a huge blunder from a Nicolas Douchez punt to allow the international striker a routine finish.

If the Bretons had been almost totally dominant to this point, they struggled afterwards, perhaps due to a lack of concentration. The opening hour had seen Monaco fail to register a shot on target but Park Chu Yung nearly provided them with a lifeline but overcooked his crucial touch.

Argentine defender, Cufré, would provide real hope for the principality side as he slammed a penalty straight down the centre following a foul on Park.

This revolt might have sparked something more serious but Rennes’ resilience was impressive. American youngster Freddy Adu would have the only real chance for a late goal but his shot sailed hopelessly off-target; a microcosm of the attacking midfielder’s season to date.

Had Monaco snatched even a point, it would have been something of a gross injustice such was the domination by the home team for so long.