League 1 | AS Monaco wins in Rennes (1-2) in pouring rain and takes the provisional lead in the standings

Monaco continues, Rennes stalls again. The Principality club won on Breton soil on Saturday during the 7th day of Ligue 1 (1-2). Very effective in the first period with goals from Thilo Kehrer (6th) and Folarin Balogun (22nd), the Monegasques struggled more in the second against the locals who equalized superbly through Ludovic Blas (11th). The Rennes were unable to avoid another defeat after that against PSG, and remain stuck in the middle of the ranking. ASM is provisional leader, pending the Paris match against Nice on Sunday.

After the tribute to the Rennes legend Benjamin Bourigeaud who left for Qatar this summer, it was in a new revamped 3-4-3 that ASM began this meeting on a pitch which had already been successful for them over the last two seasons ( victories 2-3 in 2022 and 1-2 last year). This change of system did not prevent the visitors from opening the scoring with their first corner hit by Eliesse Ben Seghir and taken with a headed header by Kehrer (0-1, 6th). A second goal in this area this season for the German who had already scored at Auxerre (0-3).

Picked cold, the Rennais however responded superbly with a 30-meter axial missile from Blas which ended up in the net of Philipp Köhn (1-1, 12th).

The former Nantes player has now achieved three goals in this 2024-2025 financial year but has not shown enough in the game on his right wing to properly feed his center forward Arnaud Kalimuendo, who is also generally discreet.

Rennais the most prominent in the first period, Albert Gronbaek, had to give way to Amin Gouiri due to injury just before the break. The Monegasques had already regained the advantage with a sublime low opening from Ben Seghir for a finesse dive from Balogun against Mandanda (1-2, 22nd). The American and his partners scored on their only two shots before the break, while their goalkeeper prevented Adrien Truffert from placing another superb shot into the back of his cage (45th + 6).

If Ben Seghir almost gave Monaco the break with a superb axial recovery from the crossbar (49th), it was Rennes who took the lead after the restart. Julien Stéphan’s men found the post straight away through Kalmuendo (50th). The Monegasques then retreated but Mikayil Faye (56th), Truffert and Glen Kamara (58th) did not get on target or came up against Köhn.

Rennes lacked ideas and accuracy while Adi Hütter’s players stood together sticking their tongues out after their Champions League match in midweek. Balogun also came out with a shoulder injury, screaming in pain (64th). His partners held on to secure a fourth consecutive victory in the championship and temporarily take control. Conversely, the Stade Rennais of the new president Arnaud Pouille once again shows its limits by bowing to a big name and confirms its difficulties in reinventing itself.