Stade Rennais 1-4 OGC Nice | Match Report
- Connor Gordon (site admin)
- Oct 18, 2015
- 3 min read
OGC Nice leapfrogged Stade Rennais in the Ligue 1 table after the visitors dismantled their opponents, winning by four goals to one.
Before the match, Rennes were undefeated at home this season, however they knew the task of overcoming the high flying Nice side would take some doing.
A surprise starting dominance by Rennes showed that they weren't just going to try and ride the potential storm. Unfortunately for the Bretons, a great chance in front of goal wouldn't manufacture itself in the early minutes. It was to be Nice who would give Rennes a scare as Ben Arfa dinked a sweet lob into Wallyson Mallmann inside the box but was denied by keeper, Abdoulaye Diallo.
Rennes' Brazilian winger, Pedro Henrique, was kicking himself soon after when he picked up a slack ball from the Nice defence. He ran to the edge of the box and opted to cut a pass into Giovanni Sio but it was intercepted. If Henrique continued his run, a promising shooting chance was on for him.
Nice then made Rennes rue their previous opportunity to take the lead. Against the run of play, Mathieu Bodmer found himself in acres of space inside the box and was given the simple job of slotting a shot by Diallo and giving his team the lead. Veteran centre-back, Sylvain Armand, was slow at advancing forward after a corner clearance, leaving the scorer onside to do as he pleased when a header was crossed back into the box.
Rennes could have went level when Nice's debutante goalkeeper, Yoan Cardinale, was forced into a great reaction stop from Fallou Diagne's header at a corner. This save will be one to remember for the young keeper as it was his first real stop as a first team player.
Although they were a goal behind, the Rennes heads didn't go down and they continued to be a nuisance deep inside the Nice half. Pedro Mendes and Sio both passed up half-chances in and around the box but ultimately never concerned Cardinale. At the other end, Mallmann was in on goal again but his snapshot inside the box was poorly hit and went by the face of goal.
In the second half, Nice's dominance became more prevalent as they passed the ball around the hosts with ease. Barcelona-esque play was almost rewarded with a goal had Mallmann not hit the concluding shot over the bar from close range.
The leaders doubled their advantage through the unmistakable play of Hatem Ben Arfa. The hot product manufactured his chance by turning Armand inside-out deep inside the penalty area and smashed following shot by Diallo from an acute angle.
Now two goals worse off than their opponents, Rennes battled hard to stay in the game. Sio had arguably the best opportunity get a goal back when he created enough room for himself near the box to manage a shot away for Cardinale to parry out.
The entry of Rennes' new man, Juan Quintero, got the stadium up on their feet as they hailed the play maker on-loan from Porto. He made his presence felt early as he set up Abdoulaye Doucoure with a chipped pass into the box but the tall midfielder handled inside the area.
Even the introduction of the skillful Quintero couldn't help inspire his side not to concede a third goal. Ben Arfa was in the thick of it again as his low driven cross was spilled into the direction of substitute, Mahamane Traore, who easily notched home.
It was another Nice substitute who would make matters worse for Philippe Montanier and his Rennes side by scoring a fourth goal. Said Benrahma executed a potential goal of the season contender after he picked up a Ben Arfa pass from a corner and curled one into the top right of the goal.
The silent, morgue like Roazhon Park was definitely feeling the destructive hammering which was being dished out by Nice. Nevertheless, when Ben Arfa was substituted, a full stadium applause sent the attacker on his way off the field. A late Kamil Grosicki goal, thanks to the assist from Quintero, made the score line seem a little more respectable for Rennes.
Next up in Ligue 1 for Rennes is a Brittany Derby as FC Lorient become the hosts, while Nice remain on their travels as they play the league's new boys, Gazelec Ajaccio.
Rennes XI: DIALLO; MENDES, MOREIRA, DIAGNE, ARMAND, BAAL; FERNANDES, DOUCOURE, HENRIQUE, SYLLA; SIO
Nice XI: CARDINALE; LE MARCHAND, PEREIRA, BODMER, SERI, MALLMAN, MENDY, KOZIELLO, BEN ARFA, GERMAIN, PIED
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