Rennes : 1
Monaco : 2
After the almost miraculous draw brought back from Croatia on Wednesday (2-2) in the Champions League, under downpours of rain, Adi Hütter’s men did not miss the chance to put pressure on the Parisian rivals even if They owe it essentially to the shortcomings once again displayed by their adversaries.
After the surprise change of president at the Rouge et Noir – Arnaud Pouille, former general manager of RC Lens having arrived to take Olivier Cloarec’s place on Friday – Rennes knew they were under pressure.
Before the match, the passage of Benjamin Bourigeaud, who came to inaugurate a fresco of his likeness at the bottom of the Rennes kop stand and who was treated to a magnificent tifo from the Mordelles stand, created the illusion of a sacred union. But the bronca more than 50 minutes later, at half-time, showed that it was only window dressing.
L’ASM efficace
In the meantime, Monaco, firmly set on its positions, solid in the duels, had taken control of the match without being flamboyant. An uncrossed header from Thilo Kehrer on the first corner of the game (0-1, 6e), and a clever spiked ball from Folarin Balogun (1-2, 22e), after having overtaken Leo Ostigard too easily, had put the visitors in the lead.
The big black spot of the evening for the Rocher players was the exit due to injury of Balogun in the 64the minute, visibly severely injured in the left shoulder, after a regular aerial duel with Ostigard.
But even if their only opportunity in the second act was this 25-meter strike from Eliesse Ben Seghir which crashed into Steve Mandanda’s crossbar (49e), Monaco has not usurped its success.
Reindeer dangerous from afar
Rennes had been temporarily brought back up to speed by a sublime slightly outside strike from the left from Ludovic Blas from 30 meters, which ended its trajectory in the small net of Philipp Köhn (1-1, 11e).
But this attempt, as well as that, just as distant from Adrien Truffert, diverted this time by Köhn above his bar, above all symbolized the inability of the Bretons to really approach the opposing goals in the first act.
In the second, they often besieged the Monaco surface and they may regret the outside of the post found by Arnaud Kalimuendo (50e) and the unscrewed recovery of Glenn Kamara (58e) who missed the frame.
Towards a turbulent truce in Rennes?
Not enough, however, to hope for more from this match where, despite obvious good will, especially after the break, the small technical errors, the bad choices in the last or penultimate gesture, are more than enough to explain the difference between the two teams.
Suffice to say that the international break which is coming could be agitated on the side of Piverdière, because the commotion which the Pinault family, owner of the club, has started to indulge in, could well extend to the bench and to Julien Stephan whose the credit seems almost exhausted.
The sheet
Half time: 1-2.
Buts : for Rennes, L. Blas (11e) ; for Monaco, T. Kehrer (6e), F. Balogun (22e).
Warnings: in Rennes, L. Blas (44e), L. Assignon (75e) ; in Monaco, D. Zakaria (45e + 8), K. Ouattara (57e), T. Minamino (72e), P. Köhn (86e).
