Courageous Rennes snatch a point
Ligue 1, Lyon 1 - 1 Stade Rennais. Trailing 1-0 at the interval, reduced down to 10 men in the second half after the dismissal of Montaño, Rennes managed to bring a point back from Gerland by equalising through Théophile-Catherine at the end of the game. Arch-dominated in the first half, Rennes showed courage against a Lyon team visibly tired after their game in Madrid Wednesday.
In Gerland, it was a Rennes team missing the likes of Brahimi, Boukari and Kembo upfront that faced Lyon, for a game that started without any observation round. Rennes started the game well, and created the first opportunity when, after 4 minutes, Montaño was pushed in the penalty area. The referee didn’t budge.
L’OL, however, would soon start taking the upper hand on « Rouge et Noir », initially well in place defensively. After ten minutes, Lyon had already created themselves 3 corner-kicks. Rennes struggled to keep the ball and Lyon was progressively taking the edge. The first true alert on Douchez’ goal came at the 18th minute, after Briand failed to connect with Lisandro’s delivery. Two minutes later, Olympique Lyonnais created another chance in Rennes’ area, but Mangane was in cover. At the 26th minute, Douchez blocked a header by Briand on his goal-line.
Rennes arch-dominated and logically trailing
Stade Rennes played very low on the field and struggled to enter the Lyon final 40 metres. It indeed took 32 minutes to see Rennes do their first incursion in Lyon’s end, resulting in a corner-kick. However, arch-dominated, Antonetti’s men eventually cracked under the Lyon pressure. At the 36th minute, following a bad clearance by Mangane, Lisandro placed a shot slightly deflected by Gomis. Enough to beat Douchez (1-0, 36’). Rennes’ chances were even nearly written off three minutes later on another Lisandro shot, but the argentine hit the ball wide. The “Rouge et Noir” would manage a good attacking movement just before half-time, capped with a cross by Camara (39’), but the absence of Boukari left a clear gap forwards.
At the beginning of the second half, Rennes played better against a Lyon team starting to feel the fatigue of their mid-week Champions League game in Madrid. Antonetti introduced Doumbia (51’) and Verhoek (66’) to try and find the solution in a game much more scattered that in the half, partly because of the 22 fouls committed by the 22 actors. Alas, Rennes’ efforts were dented by the sending-off of Montaño (64’). After a foul by Lovren, the CVolombian striker kicked the Lyon defender who had fallen on him and was logically expelled from the game by Mr Gautier.
Rennes come back from the dead
Reduced down to ten men, Stade Rennes started monopolising the ball however, against Lyon players struggling physically. Ready to counter, OL were content enough to wait for a mistake by Rennes and manage their advantage. Rennes failed to up the pace of the game however, but was very close to equalise through Verhoek. The Dutchman profited of a mistake by Lloris, who had to intervene twice in order to block the ball (78’).
An equaliser was a clear possibility, and with the solution not being created in open play, it would arrive from a set-piece: on a free-kick from the left wing Verhoek flicked the ball back to Théophile-Catherine who pushed it to the back of the net (1-1, 87’). Rennes were celebrating, and they were coming back from a dire situation. With this draw snatched with courage, they remain by the top of the table and prevented Lyon to overtake them. Not discouraged after their defeat to Olympique Marseille last week-end, they showed a frame of mind they will now need to keep over the international break. A break which arrives rightfully, with Rennes being once again plagued by injuries.
Match Facts
OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS 1 - 1 STADE RENNAIS FC (half-time : 1 - 0)
Ligue 1, 28th Match Day
Saturday, Match 19th à 21:00
Stade Gerland
Attendance : around 30 000 spectators
Referee : Antony Gautier
Goals : Lisandro (36’) for Lyon.
Théophile-Catherine (87’) for Rennes.
Yellow Cards : Pjanic (40’), Lovren (65’) for Lyon.
Tettey (57’), Dalmat (60’), Doumbia (69’) for Rennes.
Red Card : Montaño (65’) for Rennes.
- Olympique Lyonnais : Lloris - Réveillère, Diakhaté, Lovren, Cissokho - Toulalan, Gourcuff (Källström, 82’), Pjanic (Lacazette, 89’) - Gomis, Lisandro, Briand (Pied, 82’).
Manager : Claude Puel.
- Stade Rennais FC : Douchez - Danzé, Kana-Biyik, Mangane, Théophile-Catherine - Tettey, M’Vila, Dalmat (Boye, 86’) - Leroy (Doumbia, 52’), Montaño, Camara (Verhoek, 67’).
Manager : Frédéric Antonetti.