Hi, I am Freddie Cotton and I will be covering this evenings action from France as Lyon travel to face Rennes in game week thirteen of this seasons Ligue 1 campaign.
Lyon come into todays match off the back of a 3-0 win against Sparta Prague in the Europa League, cementing their place in this seasons knockout rounds. ‘Les Gones’ have risen to sixth in the league table after their 2-1 win at home to second place Lens last weekend and will be hoping to secure three more valuable points in tonights fixture in order to edge closer to the Champions League places.
However, if the visitors want to have any hope of returning to Europes top competition they will have to claim back to back victories for the first time since September against a high flying Rennes side.
Player To Watch: Houssem Aouar.
Lyon’s playmaker is a player to watch in every match he plays in. The French international has five goal involvements so far this season and will be looking to add to that tally this match to propel Lyon towards the Champions League spots.
Rennes are on an outstanding run of form. Genesio Bruno’s side are unbeaten in their last nine games and are just four points off the Champions League places. However if the home side are going to extend this run, they will have to beat visitors Lyon who they have not beaten on the last two occasions.
Player To Watch: Gaetan Laborde.
The Rennes talisman is one of Ligue 1’s highest scorers this season with seven goals so far. The French striker will be looking to add to his league tally for the first time since early October when Rennes travelled to Metz.
Here are the lineups for todays match:
1′ Rennes get the game underway and will kick from right to left in the first half.
2′ Flavien Tait picks up a loose ball in the middle of midfield before driving forward and sending the ball out to Gaeten Laborde on the right hand side of the pitch. The French striker cuts inside and strikes a vicious shot from the edge of the penalty area. However, the shot lacked direction and is gathered easily by Anthony Lopes in the Lyon goal.
4′ Baptiste Santamaria connects with a bouncing ball on the edge of the Lyon penalty area but his shot is blocked by German defender Jerome Boateng and cleared from danger.
7′ Huge chance for Rennes. Benjamin Bourigeaud delivers a dangerous cross into the Lyon penalty box from the right-hand side of the pitch that ricochets off Boateng and Jason Denayer before falling to the feet of Laborde 6 from goal. Rennes’ top scorer frantically swings his foot at the ball and produces a shot on goal but Lopes is there again to spring across his line and tip the ball away from danger.
14′ Lucas Paqueta plays a clever ball between the legs of Nayef Aguerd to get Karl Toko-Ekambi through on goal. However the flag is raised against the Cameroonian international and Rennes are awarded a free-kick.
17′ How has that not gone in?!? Santamaria is played through by Hamari Traore before cutting inside and beating his man. As Lopes comes out of his goal to narrow the wingers angle on goal, Santamaria squares the ball to Martin Terrier who sees his resulting effort on goal blocked on the goal line by Lyon captain Leo Dubois. The ball then rebounds out to Rennes talisman Laborde who has an mainly open goal to aim at but can only fire the ball straight at Bruno Guimaraes who produces a second goal line block. Rennes really should be 1-0 up.
25′ Santamaria receives the first yellow card of the game after clipping the leg of Paqueta as the Brazilian looked to drive forward.
28′ Tait plays a perfectly weighted through ball to Laborde who rounds the keeper and fires a shot towards goal. Lopes is there to thwart the striker again though as he leaps from the floor and tips the ball out for a corner. Yet another chance missed from Rennes.
33′ Tait spreads the ball out wide to Laborde who travels down the wing before firing a low cross shot across the six yard box. Santamaria slides in and sticks out his right foot to try and turn the ball goal bound but he misses by an inch and the ball rolls out for a goal kick.
35′ Warmed Omari is the second player to be in Benoit Bastien’s book. His foul on Houssem Aouar to deny the Lyon counter attack gets him a yellow card.
39′ Majer receives the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area and strikes a vicious shot on goal from a tight angle but he is denied once again from Lopes.
40′ Bruno Guimaraes is the first Lyon player to receive a yellow card. The Brazilian concedes a freekick on the edge of the penalty area for a raised arm in the face of Terrier. Rennes free kick.
42′ Majer strikes the resulting free kick towards goal. The ball bends and dips but sails just over Lopes’ crossbar. Lyon goal kick.
44′ Emerson Palermi is having a torrid time. He is faced up against Bourigeaud who turns him one way and then the other before the Brazilian sticks out a leg and clears for a Rennes corner.
45′ RENNES FINALLY IN FRONT! The resulting corner from Bourigeaud is a dangerous one. The Frenchman’s ball into the Lyon penalty area finds the head of Laborde who directs his corner into the bottom right-hand corner and past Lopes to give Rennes a well deserved lead.
HALF TIME: RENNES 1-0 LYON.
The home side go into the interval with a much deserved lead. ‘The Rennais’ have inflicted a constant onslaught on the Lyon goal and will be looking to extend their lead and secure the three points in the second period.
OFF- 39, Guimaraes
ON- 20, Slimani
45′ Lyon kick off the second half of the match.
49′ A brainfreeze moment from Dubios. The experienced right back picks the ball up for a throw in when it had not gone out of play. Rennes get a freekick on the left hand side of the pitch.
50′ RENNES DOUBLE THEIR LEAD! An absolute nightmare for Lyon. The resulting freekick is swung deep into the Lyon penalty area by Majer, Denayer rises highest but his attempted clearance falls to the feet of Rennes captain Traore. The Mali international strikes a thunderous shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, leaving Lopes with no chance. Rennes 2-0 Lyon.
54′ Slimani picks up a yellow card just ten minutes after coming onto the pitch. The Algerian pulls on the shirt of Terrier who goes down and wins a free kick inside the Rennes half.
56′ Laborde slips in Traore on the right hand side of the pitch. The goalscorer tries playing a low cross into the box but it is turned behind by Boateng. Rennes corner.
57′ The resulting set piece is fired to the front post by Bourigeaud and finds Terrier. The striker gets his studs to the ball and tries to flick the it goal bound but it goes narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
60′ Outstanding save from Lopes! Laborde rises highest to head Bourigeaud’s cross towards goal however he is denied by Lopes in the Lyon goal who leaps across goal to tip the ball away from danger. A monumental save from the Portuguese international.
64′ The referee stops play as Traore goes down on the halfway line. The Rennes captain is caught by the studs of Thiago Mendes in a previous challenge and goes to ground in order to receive treatment from the Rennes physio.
67′ Paqueta plays a lofted through ball in behind the Rennes back line which falls to the feet of Karl Toko-Ekambi. The Cameroonian tries to hit a first time volley but his shot is tame and straight at Alfred Gomis in the Rennes goal who gathers easily.
71′ Dubois makes a darting run down the right-hand side of the pitch before lofting a cross towards the back post. Toko-Ekambi cannot jump high enough to meet the cross and it sails out of play for a goal kick.
73′ RENNES SUBSTITUTIONS:
OFF- 7, Martin Terrier
14, Benjamin Bourigeaud
ON- 3, Adrien Truffert
10, Kamal Deen Sulemana
75′ Emerson strikes a dipping free kick from distance which requires Gomis to spring across his line and push out for a throw in. Good chance for Lyon.
76′ TRUFFERT SEALS IT! The newly introduced left back races through on goal before being pushed to ground by Dubois inside the Lyon penalty area. The twenty year old falls to ground and in the process taps the ball past Lopes and into the net. Dubois can count himself lucky, had the shot not gone in it would have certainly been a penalty and sending off. Rennes 3-0 Lyon.
80′ LYON SUBSTITUTION:
OFF- 7, Karl Toko-Ekambi
ON- , Ryan Cherki
83′ TRUFFERT GETS HIS SECOND! Traore storms down the right wing before lifting a dangerous cross into the Lyon penalty area. The cross is headed away but not from danger by Denayer as the ball falls to Truffert on the edge of the 18 yard box. The substitute HAMMERS the ball into the top left-hand corner on the half volley. Lopes is just a spectator as he watches the ball fly into the net. Rennes 4-0 Lyon.
87′ Majer picks up the ball in the centre of the pitch before striding forward and striking the ball from the edge of the Lyon penalty area. Lopes will be grateful to see the ball sail past his post and into the side netting. It stays at four.
90′ RENNES SUBSTITUTIONS:
OFF- 21, Lovro Majer
14, Gaetan Laborde
ON- 26, Chimuanya Ugochukwu
9, Serhou Guirassy
90+2′ PENALTY TO LYON! Paqueta is clipped on the heel by Aguerd inside the Rennes penalty area. Bastien points to the spot and awards Lyon a penalty kick.
90+3′ LYON GET ONE BACK! After a disagreement among the Lyon players, Paqueta places the ball on the spot, taking a stuttered run up before stroking the ball into the top left-hand corner. Gomis is denied a clean sheet at the death. Rennes 4-1 Lyon.
90+4′ FULL TIME: RENNES 4-1 LYON.
The home side run out worthy winners from todays contest. From the first whistle, Lyon were second best to everything and could not lay a glove on Rennes for the majority of the game. The three points takes the home side onto twenty-two league points as they continue their charge for Champions League places. The away side are dealt a blow to their Champions League dreams for this campaign. The loss ensures they stay four points from the Champions League spots with a tricky game at home to Marseille after the international break.
Player Of The Match: Anthony Lopes.
Although the Lyon goalkeeper was on the losing side of the contest, he denied Rennes from winning by many more. The Portuguese stopper produced a plethora of magnificent saves to thwart Rennes on numerous occasions. He is arguably the only Lyon player who can leave the pitch with their head held high.
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