Clermont beat nine-man Rennes, Lyon held by Nantes | OneFootball

Stade Rennais FC saw their hopes of Champions League qualification suffer a blow as they had two men sent off in a 2-1 defeat at Clermont Foot 63 on Wednesday. Meanwhile Olympique Lyonnais drew 0-0 at FC Nantes, while Toulouse put five past AJ Auxerre.

Clermont Foot 63 2-1 Stade Rennais FC

THE MATCH

Rennes have been irresistible at home this season but their away form was a problem before this trip to Auvergne to play Clermont at the Stade Gabriel-Montpied in their first Ligue 1 Uber Eats outing since losing top scorer Martin Terrier for the rest of the season to a serious knee injury.

Jérémy Doku started on the left wing for the Brittany side in the absence of Terrier, and Rennes had an early claim for a penalty when the ball struck the arm of Clermont defender Maximiliano Caufriez in the box. However, referee Clément Turpin decided not to point to the spot after coming across to review the images. Instead it was the hosts who went ahead just after the half-hour mark when Grejohn Kyei latched onto a superb ball over the top by Saîf-Eddine Khaoui, rounded goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and slotted in (31’).

Only Paris Saint-Germain had scored more goals this season than Rennes coming into this midweek round of games, but Bruno Genesio’s team offered little going forward until suddenly coming to life midway through the second half. Amine Gouiri blasted over when he really should have scored, but the equaliser arrived shortly after. Benjamin Bourigeaud cut the ball back for Arnaud Kalimuendo to make it 1-1 in the 74th minute.

Bourigeaud and Omari sent off

Yet just as Rennes appeared poised to go on and win the game, instead they were reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute when Bourigeaud – having already been booked late in the first half – saw a second yellow for a foul on Yohann Magnin. Things got worse when they were reduced to nine men with just seven minutes to go. Warmed Omari brought down substitute Komnen Andric just outside the box and was shown a red card for the last-man challenge following a VAR review.

It looked like Rennes would hold on with nine men for a draw but then Clermont got the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Mandanda made a fine save from Andric but Johan Gastien was there to drive in the follow-up, as Clermont bounced back from a shock Coupe de France exit at the hands of sixth-tier opposition to consolidate their position in the top half of the table.

THE PLAYER: Warmed Omari

It was a rare start for the young defender who was outstanding last season but missed the first months of this campaign due to injury. Yet he endured an evening to forget as he was caught out at the first Clermont goal and then shown a red card for a last-man challenge on Andric. That left his team to see out the game with nine men, which they couldn’t do. Omari will now miss Sunday’s home clash with Paris Saint-Germain through suspension, as will Benjamin Bourigeaud.

THE STAT: 200

This was Bruno Genesio’s 200th game as a coach in Ligue 1, but the Rennes boss will not want to remember the evening.

Toulouse run riot

Elsewhere LOSC Lille were held to a second straight draw in the league as they played out a goalless stalemate with Stade Brestois 29 in Brittany. Steve Mounié hit the woodwork in the second half for Brest. They remain in the relegation zone but recently-appointed coach Éric Roy will take plenty of encouragement from their performance. Meanwhile, it is just one win in five league games now for Olympique Lyonnais after they drew 0-0 away to FC Nantes at the Stade de la Beaujoire.

Toulouse FC made it three wins in as many games in all competitions in 2023 and moved up towards mid-table with a 5-0 thumping of AJ Auxerre, who remain in the relegation zone. Having lost 6-1 at Olympique de Marseille in their last away league outing, here Toulouse recorded their joint-biggest away win ever in the top flight. Farès Chaïbi smashed in an early opener at the Stade Abbé-Deschamps before Anthony Rouault made it two and Branco van den Boomen added a penalty before the interval. Zakaria Aboukhlal and Thijs Dallinga added further goals in the second half.

Stade de Reims extended their unbeaten run to 11 games as Marshall Munetsi’s early goal proved enough for them to win 1-0 in Corsica against AC Ajaccio.

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