Rennes fly high

Without Mangane and Kana-Biyik, Stade Rennes were facing Nice with a makeshift defence. Frédéric Antonetti was offering John Boye his first professional start in Rennes, partnering with Théophile-Catherine at centre-back. Souprayen started at left back while Danzé kept his position on the right.

Depsite a header by Danzé missing the target at the first minute, on a corner-kick by Leroy, the “Rouge et Noir” started the game timidly. Rennes was struggling to find open spaces, and Rennes was lacking pace and spontaneity against a well-positioned Nice block. Although the possession was all Rennes’ after fifteen minutes (64%), Antonetti’s men were unable to cause real worries to Nice.

Chances for Rennes

It would take until the 25th minutes for Rennes to create a string of chances. At the receiving-end of a one-two with Leroy, Montaño was tripped in the penalty area by a Nice defender. M. Moreira wouldn’t blow his whistle, even though the replay showed the referee should have awarded a penalty. Three minutes later, it was Brahimi who gave the run-around to his opponents on the left wing. The Rennes youngster managed to deliver a cross for Boukari, but Ospina was first on the ball (28’). Rennes had created two great chances, but the game started to spring to life. At the 31st minute, another alert on Nice’s goal: Boukari escaped on the right wing, delivered a back-pass for M’Vila who shot, but Ospina was there to parry it.

In the last moments of the first half, the Nice forwards would also give some frights to the experimental Rennes defence. Through Faé in the first place, whose scuffed shot wasn’t enough to worry Douchez (43’), then by Mounier a minute later, who forced Douchez to a fine save as the Rennes defence had been overwhelmed.

Rennes manage the break

After the break, Rennes came back with much better intentions. The Bretons, who had lacked the finishing touch thus far, would manage the break within a few minutes. At the reception of a perfect cross by Leroy, Montaño was alone on the 6 meters line and beat Ospina with a well-placed header (1-0, 51’). The Colombian scored his fifth goal with Stade Rennes in Ligue 1.

The match’s pace then picked up, and gaps started to open. Nice was overwhelmed, particularly Coulibaly who tripped Brahimi in the Nice penalty area (56’). This time, M. Moreira pointed at the penalty poiny and Boukari stepped-up to convert the spot-kick. The former Lens man sent Ospina in the wrong direction, and Rennes had made the breaks in less than ten minutes (2-0, 58’).

Trailing 2-0, Nice, the penultimate attack in Ligue 1, would then show more dangerous, making the best out of a few minutes of slackening by Rennes. On a header by Bellion, Douchez managed a world-class save (64’). Nice would bring no more danger, showing rather inordinate in the final stages of the game, while Camara came close to widen the gap for Rennes in injury-time (90’+2)

Able to up the game’s pace in the second half, Rennes, despite missing many players, has just won its two consecutive home games, something only Lyon and Lens had managed this season. With 40 points, the “Rouge et Noir” are now alone at second in the French Ligue 1 championship. The end of the season promises to be thrilling.

Match Facts

STADE RENNAIS FC 2 - 0 OGC NICE (half-time : 0-0)

Ligue 1, Game Week 23
Sunday, February 13th 2011, 17:00

Stade de la Route de Lorient
Attendance : about 23 000 spectators

Referee : Sébastien Moreira

Goals : Montaño (52’), Boukari (58’) for Rennes.

Yellow Card: Tettey (23’) for Rennes ; Coulibaly (56’) for Nice.

- Stade Rennais FC : Douchez - Danzé (cap.), Boye, Théophile-Catherine, Souprayen - M’Vila, Tettey, Leroy (Doumbia, 74’) - Boukari, Montaño (Lemoine, 85’), Brahimi (Camara, 64’).

Manager: Frédéric Antonetti.

- OGC Nice : Ospina - Clerc, Civelli (cap.), Pejcinovic, Diakité (Ben Saada, 65’) - Digard, Faé (Sablé, 86’), Coulibaly, Mounier - Bellion, Mouloungui (Ljuboja, 70’).

Manager: Eric Roy.