TOPS
The public did not have to wait for the end of an observation round. From the very first moments of the match, the Rennais stormed the goals of Alexandre Oukidja. Whether it was Gouiri (4th, 6th) or Doku (9th), the Stade Rennais offensives went straight to the point. The latter were well helped by their midfielders, harvesting the balls in the opposing half of the field. Arnaud Kalimuendo’s goal in the 20th perfectly completes the efforts of Bruno Génésio’s men.
Stade Rennes finished the match as they started it, thoroughly. Doku again, author of multiple attempts in the second half (60th, 68th, 78th) was finally rewarded for the damage caused on his wing. His goal, scored in the 68th minute, did not prevent him from continuing to harass the goals of Alexandre Oukidja. In its wake, Gouiri, Bourigeaud and company followed. When the Belgian left in the 85th, in favor of Ibrahim Salah, the latter took over. Scoring a brace in less than ten minutes, the 22-year-old striker used Oukidja’s hand errors to plant. Show guaranteed in Brittany, see you next week in Lens.
FLOPS
It had started well, the match of the garnet doorman. Repelling all the attempts of Rennes unleashed in front of goal, Oukidja seemed solid on his line. Despite the two goals conceded, until the 60th minute of play, we could not blame the goalkeeper much, abandoned by his defense. Nevertheless, the last three goals are in his defense. Three copied and pasted actions, which have enough to enrage Moselle supporters. On Doku’s goal, he deflects Gouiri’s shot, on the left of his goals, at the feet of the Belgian (68th). Same situation in the 95th, where Meling strikes from the same position and Sallah also scores under the same conditions. On Sallah’s first goal, Oukidja kicks a ball on the ground in an unacademic way… same result.
This is the story that resonated with the captain of FC Metz, Ismaël Traoré. At the microphone of Prime Video, he declared that his team could not “take points in Ligue 1” if they played like this afternoon. Against Rennes, they were too far from the ball carrier to be able to be in the fight, to have the niaque, as Traoré recalled. The goal scored 7 seconds after Rennes opened the scoring leaves hope, but Laszlo Bölöni’s men will have to beef up their game: “We maybe respected them a little too much”, analyzed Traoré.
