IT’S OVER!! Rennes cruise past Strasbourg and claim the league lead!
A clear 3-0 victory lifts the Bretons to the Ligue 1 lead! Franck Haise’s side surged late in the first half and sealed the win with Szymanski’s superb strike at stoppage time. The Alsatians, erratic throughout, drop to 16th, the relegation spot, suffering their fourth straight defeat.
Five minutes of added time
The Bretons remain composed. The match is practically decided now.
Rennes manage the game calmly
The hosts control the closing stages, steering toward a win that will crown them champions of the league.
Reyna substitution
Disappointing, Kellyman comes on.
Cissé’s half‑volley sails over!
Aït‑Boudlal makes a good run into the box, the ball finds Cissé who tries a half‑volley but doesn’t get low enough. It sails over – a missed chance.
Double substitution for Rennes
Camara and Szymanski, warmly applauded, are replaced by Cissé and Blas.
WHAT A CRESSWELL SAVE!!
Coulibaly bursts out of the box, the ball lands to Jacobo Ortega who faces Samba. He curls a shot, but Cresswell reads it and clears it off the line!
Merlin comes on
The former Marseille player replaces Nagida, greeted with applause on his exit.
Substitutions: Sousa, Harder and Yassine leave
They are swapped for Godo, El Mourabet and Jacobo Ortega.
Reyna receives a yellow card
The American lags behind Rongier and receives a warning.
Double change for SRFC
Dia and Al‑Tamari give way to Mayenda and Thomasson.
OH MY GOODNESS, THAT SZYMANSKI STRIKE!
A stunning left‑foot strike! Gathered at the edge of the area, he steadies and unleashes a curling shot that rockets into the top corner – pure brilliance!
Rennes regain control
The Bretons weather the brief shower and regain possession. Haise’s men manage their lead expertly.
Strasbourg start well but…
It echoes the first‑half script: Racing start strong, the Bretons sit back then surge. Alsace must stay sharp. They dominate possession after the restart.
What a beautiful one‑two!
Oso leans on Sousa, who returns a beautiful back‑heel, setting him up perfectly to cross into the box. No one meets the cross – beautiful nonetheless!
And already a chance for Diémé!
Well‑placed left‑wing pass from Harder, he opts for a low, tight angle and the ball ends in the small outer net. Fresh energy from the new sub!
Strasbourg make a halftime change
Diémé replaces Essugo.
It’s back on!
Racing kick off the second half.
HALFTIME!
In diesel mode, Rennes build momentum minute by minute. They exploded late in the first half with goals from Dia and Szymanski. The Alsatians, strong early, struggled in the closing stages of the half.
Three minutes of added time
Excellent first half for the Bretons!
Another big Strasbourg error!
Mitchell mis‑times a back‑pass to his keeper, and Al‑Tamari is poised to punish the error. After a strong start, the young Alsatians are losing their grip on the game.
SZYMANSKI DOUBLES THE LEAD!!!
What a surge from Rennes! Coulibaly wins an aerial duel but slips, handing the ball to Al‑Tamari. The Jordanian steadies and delivers a left‑side cross to Nagida, whose powerful delivery meets Dia’s instinct, finding Szymanski at the far post for a 2‑0 lead!
Dia continues his fine run
Penalty scorer against Juventus on Thursday in the Europa League (2‑2), the striker, with Lepaul absent, follows up with the opening goal.
DIA opens the scoring!!
Initially cancelled, then awarded! 1‑0 to the Bretons, temporarily topping the table! Frankowski delivers a cross, Dia finds himself alone two metres from goal, slots it in, but is flagged offside… Yet Mitchell blocks the replay and VAR confirms the goal!
Yellow card for Yassine
Frustrated by a whistle against him, he launches a high kick into the stadium and receives a warning.
Heat rises in the Alsace box!
Nice back‑pass from Frankowski, Dia mistimes his follow‑up and fails to spot Szymanski’s better position in the box. Meanwhile, Nagida capitalises on Jorgensen’s misplaced clearance.
Rennes get closer to scoring
Now the Bretons are on the attack! Inside the area, Al‑Tamari tries a left‑foot shot – a miss, but it could have turned into a golden chance for Dia, who is surprised by the ball’s trajectory and can’t recover!
Alsace mistake! Dia nearly capitalises!
Sousa mis‑directs a back‑pass to his keeper and Dia can’t dribble past the keeper to punish the error! Hot moment!
What a fantastic free‑kick by Frankowski!
The Polish winger takes a free‑kick just outside Jorgensen’s goal, Camara is close to a follow‑up but the ball rolls behind him. An off‑side is signalled anyway.
Racing grow increasingly comfortable
The visitors are now dictating play, edging closer to the box. Not decisive yet, but more interesting than Rennes’s current output.
First on‑target shot! It belongs to Strasbourg
Antwi sends a good right‑side cross toward the far post where Reyna heads it. It’s on target but lacks the power to beat Samba, who calmly gathers it. Perhaps Racing is shaping the better start.
Oso’s cross to the fifth post
A Strasbourg surge on the left sees Oso gain a step, sends a cross – completely missed and goes out for a corner on the opposite side.
A sloppy start
The opening minutes are technically sloppy. Neither side reaches the opponent’s area yet.
LET’S GO!
Rennes, dressed in pink, kick off the match!
The 22‑player line‑up enters!
Players take the field at Roazhon Park!
Racing need to kick‑start the engine
In the 14th round, Hugo Oliveira’s side sit on three straight defeats, having collected only one point from twelve possible. A poor result pushes them closer to the danger zone, just one point ahead of Le Mans in 16th place, fighting relegation.
Rennes aim to stay in the leaders’ pack
The top of the table is tightly packed. Rennes sit seventh, only a whisker from OL, the leaders, before Monaco‑Lille’s match. With Monaco and Lille drawing 1‑1, the Bretons could briefly lead with a win over Strasbourg.
Rennes lineup:
Stade Rennais (3‑5‑2): Samba – Aït Boudlal, Cresswell, Rouault – Frankowski, Camara, Rongier, Szymanski, Nagida – Dia, Al‑Tamari.
Alsace XI:
RCSA (4‑3‑3): Jorgensen – Antwi, Mitchell, Coulibaly, Oso – Essugo, Sousa, Diop – Yassine, Reyna, Harder.
After Juventus, a tactical return to roots for Franck Haise?
For the first time since arriving at Rennes in February, Franck Haise has reverted to his preferred three‑centre‑back system, a setup that brought success at Lens and, to a lesser extent, Nice. Whether directly linked or not, Rennes were close to a prestigious win on Thursday in the Europa League in Turin (2‑2). Expect a quick return, possibly Sunday against Strasbourg at Roazhon Park.
Rennes after Juventus: a tactical return to roots for Franck Haise?
Hello everyone!
Welcome to the live coverage of matchday 8. Rennes aim to keep their momentum. After a high‑level performance against Juventus in the Europa League (2‑2), Haise and his squad hope to confirm their Ligue 1 credentials. Currently seventh, the Bretons host 14th‑placed Strasbourg, who are trying to distance themselves from the relegation battle.