Stade Rennais 3-0 Montpellier: Upstarts Prevented From Topping Ligue 1

Stade Rennais prevented Montpellier going top of Ligue 1 with an efficient performance in Brittany.

A relatively slow and even start to the evening hinted at a tight encounter, but Rennes made the break ten minutes before the interval after a mini-spell of pressure, Sylvain Marveaux finishing neatly from a Jerome Leroy pass.

The same player would supply an inadvertent assist for Moussa Sow’s goal early in the second half, drilling a wayward shot across the face of goal for the striker to turn home. This strike rather took the life out the game as Rennes were rarely tested after that moment. However, stoppage time would bring with it a terrific strike from Asamoah Gyan.

It would be Montpellier who would be first to show; Younes Belhanda and Karim Ait Fana both having early efforts that caused Nicolas Douchez no particular issues. Nineteen full minutes passed before the first clear opening of the match. La Paillade’s playmaker, Alberto Costa, sent a free kick deep into the Rennes box, which was headed goalward by Victor Hugo Montano. Douchez was well placed to save.

Another half-chance presented itself to Costa just after the 25 minute mark. Douchez received a pass-back but his clearance was poor. With the ball fizzing low at Costa, he tried to turn it into the net from 30-yards, but he did not quite judge the angle of his foot correctly and had to watch his effort slide wide.

Rennes were certainly not being out-played and would grow increasingly dangerous after a dipping volley from Marveaux was held by Geoffrey Jourdren. A spectacular bicycle kick from Leroy would then fly wide. Only a few moments later Sow would bustle into the box to send a dangerous low cross into the box, though it had no takers.

Despite that effort coming to naught, it would inadvertently lead to the goal. Joris Marveaux of Montpellier – Rennes man Sylvain’s brother – lost possession. The Bretons sprung, with two passes undoing the defence and allowing their own Marveaux to cut inside one defender before curling home.

Literally within seconds it could have been 2-0, but Sow elected to chip instead of pass the ball across the face of goal when the home side were again in a promising position.

Montpellier would hold out until half-time, but they would last only a few minutes after the pause, despite making a promising start to the second period. A free kick was hopefully pumped forward and was flicked on by two home heads before falling at the feet of Leroy. He got his driven shot wrong, but it zipped along the six-yard line to be bundled home by Sow.

Both Leroy and Sow would be forced to quit the field due to injury, the former on a stretcher. This certainly made the Bretons lose some of their spark going forward, but they rarely looked under pressure at the back. Meanwhile, substitute Ismael Bangoura had his moments, signalling his intent immediately with a low shot from range that was easily saved. He would fade quickly, though.

Ait Fana missed a golden chance to draw his side back into the game with little only 15 minutes remaining, scooping the ball a metre over the bar from 12 yards out after a patient build-up from the visitors.

A solid defensive performance from Rennes kept Montpellier outside a range they were willing to shoot from, though the red and black-clad hosts posed only a limited threat in the later stages of the game, with Marveaux flashing a free kick narrowly over.

The game appeared dead, but Gyan decided to give the supporters something to remember it by, sending a terrific angled shot into the very top corner of the net - a blockbuster finish to a very satisfactory performance from the hosts.

In many ways this was a typical Rennes home performance: simple but effective. After taking the lead they were never under serious threat and their three points carry them right into the thick of things at the summit of Le Championnat once again. Montpellier have lost only once previously this season, but they bounced back well. Having missed the opportunity to go top, it remains to be seen just how well they can recover next weekend.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com