Finally, everyone is happy...

By injecting some pace and being very present in the athletic impact, Rennes looked good in the early minutes of the game, even though the Rennes squad seemed to sometimes use a way too direct way of playing towards Verhoek’s big stature. After a bad clearance from Bordeaux’ defence, Boukari was put in a position to strike at the entrance of the penalty area. But Carrasso parried the chance brilliantly by deflecting the ball out for a corner (4’).
At this moment, everything seemed to go well for Rennes. Too well? Accelerating on his right wing, Kembo felt a sharp pain in his right thigh, which let the scare of a new injury install itself. A few minutes later, only fifteen minutes in the game, he was forced to be substituted by Camara. With Dalmat in good shape at midfield, the Stade Rennais FC seemed unable to disturb a Bordeaux organisation difficult to handle in the final 30 metres in this first half. A link with Kembo’s premature exit? Possibly.

«It goes too fast for him»

The game then turned into an endless observation round, in which both teams were mainly shining through their technical lacks. Taking more risks in building their actions in this late first half, Bordeaux ended it better than Rennes and came close to opening the score: at the reception of a Wendel free-kick, Modeste was left absolutely alone at the penalty spot, but his header wasn’t on target (44’).

Seeing the attacking impotence of his team, Frédéric Antonetti changed his plans at the return from the break and decided to replace Verhoek with Leroy. The young Dutch striker was clearly paying for a difficult first half against the pair of centre backs made of Savic and Fernando, which would prompt him to receive reprimands from his manager after an action in which Verhoek was too slow to react to a deep pass from Boukari (43’): «It goes too fast for him», the Rennes manager repeated tirelessly, slightly angered in his dugout.

Bordeaux could have had a penalty

From the beginning of the second half, Leroy’s entrance brought a bit of added energy to the Rennes attack. Carrasso managed a superb reflex-stop on a header by Danzé deflected by Diarra (62’). Against a Bordeaux team attempting nothing but to defend as a block, the “Rouge et Noir” were relying on Lemoine’s set-pieces. On one of them, Mangane towered over the defence, but without success (73’). The Senegalese defender was also at the centre of a controversy. Challenging for the ball with Diabaté, Mangane deflected the ball voluntarily with the end in his own penalty area, but the game’s referee didn’t bulge (78’).

In a tedious game from beginning to end, Leroy was close to sending the Stade de la Route de Lorient into ecstasy when he avoided Carrasso. However, the Rennes playmaker couldn’t push the ball towards goal (90+1’). With this draw, Rennes leave Bordeaux at a reasonable distance. In the next few weeks, it will be necessary to keep an eye on the performances of Lorient 6th) and Sochaux (7th) , who with their success of the night have return only five and six points behind Rennes. The dreams of podium and Champions League seem to have stretched a world away now, only a few later…

Match Facts

STADE RENNAIS FC 0 - 0 GIRONDINS DE BORDEAUX (half-time : 0-0)

Ligue 1, Game Week 33
Saturday, April 30th 2011, 19:00

Stade de la route de Lorient
Attendance : 22 010 spectators

Referee : Wilfried Bien

Yellow Cards : Boye (53’), Lemoine (69’) for Rennes. Chalmé (16’), Diarra (24’) for Bordeaux.

- Stade Rennais FC : Douchez - Danzé, Boye, Mangane (cap.), Souprayen - M’Vila, Tettey (Lemoine, 58’), Dalmat - Kembo (Camara, 15’), Verhoek (Leroy, 46’), Boukari.

Manager : Frédéric Antonetti.

- Girondins de Bordeaux : C. Carrasso - Chalmé, Savic, Fernando, Marange - Sané, Diarra (cap.) - Ben Khalfallah (Jussiê, 63’), Plasil, Wendel (Trémoulinas, 77’) - Modeste (Diabaté, 67’).

Manager : Jean Tigana.