Strasbourg (AFP)
A week after his victory against Paris SG, Stade Rennes has a little more ambitions and took the lead in the championship by winning on the lawn of Strasbourg (2-0), Sunday during the third day of L1.
The Bretons, very effective, won with goals from Clement Grenier (16th) and Mbaye Niang (54th) and already total nine points out of nine possible. Only Lyon, who plays Tuesday in Montpellier, and Nice, who receives Marseille Wednesday, can still achieve the same faultless Rennes.
The success of Brittany must however be relativised because the Alsatian coach Thierry Laurey had left rest several frames in view of the return dam of Europa League Thursday at the Germans of Eintracht Frankfurt. Defender and captain Stefan Mitrovic, midfielder Dimitri Liénard and strikers Ludovic Ajorque and Adrien Thomasson have been spared.
Nevertheless, Racing, who finished at ten after the exclusion of Abdallah Ndour (83), could have done better because he had several opportunities including a penalty missed in the first period. With 2 points, the Alsatians point to the 15th rank of L1.
- impassable Mendy -
At the Meinau, Rennes quickly take control of the match and get the first opportunities: Eduardo Camavinga, the young 16-year-old Congolese prodigy, finds the net (9th), then a free-kick from Grenier passes right next (12e).
The third is the good for the Bretons: launched by Benjamin Bourigeaud, Grenier continues with successful control of the chest and shot between the legs of Matz Sels (1-0, 16). This goal awakens the Strasbourg, who are finally dangerous by Nuno da Costa, whose wound shot is diverted by Edward Mendy (20th).
The game gets tougher and the Meinau rumbling after several rulings by referee Rudy Buquet, including a dangerous tackle Maoussa casserole on Mohamed Simakan sanctioned only a warning (22).
A few minutes later, the referee did not give a penalty to RCSA after an undisclosed tackle by Jérémy Morel on Simakan (35th). This engenders the fury of the public and Thierry Laurey, warned in turn. Finally, after consulting the VAR, Mr. Buquet whistles the penalty ... which is missed by Jonas Martin, whose attempt is rejected by Mendy (40th).
The goalkeeper, very inspired for his debut with his new club, still saves his team in added time by deflecting a shot from Benjamin Corgnet (45 + 2).
From the start, Rennes double the bet on one of his rare occasions: shifted by Grenier, Hamari Traoré escapes the tackle of Lionel Carole and addresses a center in perfect recess for Niang, which marks the flat of the foot (0-2, 56e).
Strasbourg shows a lot of desire to return to the score but is too rough to achieve it. It will be more solid and realistic Thursday in Frankfurt to defend the goal in advance gained in the first leg (1-0) and hope to qualify for the group phase of the Europa League.
© 2019 AFP