Rennes have invested an excessive amount of cash to be this toothless up entrance. Eric Devin

IIt used to be a bumper weekend in Ligue 1 – there used to be Champions League qualification within the steadiness in Lens, a sour contention renewed between resurgent Lyon and Marseille, and quite a few the most important suits within the relegation dogfight. This weekend additionally presented a reminder of what would possibly were for one membership, Stade Rennais. As Marseille and Lens have been all however sealing their puts within the best 3 (an enormous fit between them looms on May 6 as they proceed to jockey for 2nd position and Champions League qualification), Bruno Génésio’s facet have been dropping 1-0 to 10-man Montpellier.

It used to be the 5th time in seven league suits that they had failed to attain. Montpellier were resurgent below the returning Michel der Zakarian however they rarely appeared essentially the most difficult opponent sooner than the fit. Furthermore, with Lille drawing with Auxerre and Monaco dropping to Lens, the fit offered Rennes with the very best alternative to reinsert themselves into the European dialog. A win at La Mosson would have taken them above Lille within the desk.

The defeat used to be particularly disappointing given their spectacular 3-0 win remaining weekend in opposition to Reims, the darlings of the league because the appointment of Will Still. Jérémy Doku scored a brace in that sport, the younger Belgian exerting his affect at the staff once more after he have been plagued via damage within the first part of the season. They have additionally crushed PSG – two times – within the remaining 3 months, each with out Martin Terrier. The winger – who scored 21 targets remaining season and 9 on this marketing campaign sooner than he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his knee in January – has been a big loss, however Génesio has quite a few replacements at his disposal.

Arnaud Kalimuendo and Amine Gouiri, who joined remaining summer season for more or less €20m every, are two of the most efficient younger attackers in France. Karl Toko Ekambi, who joined on mortgage from Lyon in January as a putative alternative for Terrier, is a wily presence who scored greater than 20 targets for membership and nation remaining season. Even Benjamin Bourigeaud contributed 11 targets remaining season, however his scoring contact turns out to have disappeared.

Rennes had probabilities in opposition to Montpellier on Sunday, however they lacked a point of interest with out Terrier. Players appeared to take hold of on the ball and did not upward push to the instance. Hamari Traoré, the veteran right-back and probably the most few gamers who became in a composed efficiency, presented a easy, brutal and correct verdict in their efficiency. “What we have shown is not worthy of a team that is playing for Europe,” mentioned Traoré.

What is the basis of the issue? Terrier gave Rennes a bodily point of interest – like M’Baye Niang and Gaëtan Laborde did in earlier seasons. Terrier’s power belies his slim body and he is very good within the air. He is sorely overlooked – no longer only for his targets however on account of the tactical choices he provides the staff. Kalimuendo is best 5ft 7in and is determined by his tempo – his luck at Lens got here as he labored off the extra bodily Florian Sotoca. He is best possible used as a 2nd striker or extensive participant. Gouiri has additionally been deployed as a striker however, as his time at Nice confirmed, he’s best possible used at the left or as a No 10. That being mentioned, given their value tags, they must be extra prolific.

Ultimately, that Rennes proceed to be inconsistent and profligate will have to land on the toes of Génésio, given the membership’s outlay in contemporary seasons. By French requirements, the purchases of Kalimuendo, Gouiri and defender Arthur Theate are extravagant, although some golf equipment above them have spent extra. Despite an enormous outlay, the staff has regressed below Génésio as he has struggled to choose a constant tactical manner since Terrier’s damage. In addition, gamers purchased via director Florian Maurice have additionally been a blended bag. Kamaldeen Sulemana didn’t pull up any timber sooner than leaving for Southampton; Theate has been unimpressive; and younger defenders Loïc Badé and Christopher Wooh have failed to determine themselves within the first staff.

Given their monetary assets and robust academy, Rennes must be doing higher. Eduardo Camavinga, Ousmane Dembélé and Mathys Tel have been all evolved via the membership, however there also are a raft of more youthful gamers coming via whom Génésio has been loath to make use of, headlined via striker Matthis Abline, now on mortgage at Auxerre, and Désire Doué. The reluctance to make use of those gamers turns out ordinary given the affect academy graduates have had at the staff of overdue.

It is probably not too overdue for redemption. Lille nonetheless have to stand Monaco and Marseille, in addition to relegation-threatened Nantes, so there are lots of alternatives for Paulo Fonseca’s facet to drop issues. Rennes may just but pip them to 5th position. But the easy reality is {that a} loss of targets has undone what gave the look to be a promising season. One has to marvel upon whom the ax will fall.

Talking issues

It’s (virtually) activity performed for Lens after a cracking 3-0 win over Monaco on Saturday. A brace from Loïs Openda, who now has 17 targets this season, led the best way for Lens, who rebounded neatly after dropping to PSG. A talk over with from Marseille in a fortnight looms huge, however Franck Haise’s facet have all however assured themselves a spot in Europe subsequent season — and their subsequent process, achieving the Champions League, seems that a lot more doable now.

Another week, some other overdue objective for Nantes. They are rarely essentially the most prolific staff in Ligue 1, having scored simply 35 targets in 32 suits this season, however a 3rd of them have come within the remaining quarter-hour of suits. Evann Guessand’s arguable 96th-minute equalizer in opposition to Troyes on Sunday afternoon could also be their maximum important but. The level earned from the two–2 draw assists in keeping Nantes out of the ground 3, albeit best on objective distinction. It may be all however relegated Troyes, who are actually 10 issues from protection with six suits left to play. The backside 3 glance set to move down, however the combat to steer clear of completing within the fourth relegation position stays extremely tight between Nantes, Brest, Auxerre and Strasbourg. The 4 aspects are separated via a unmarried level, with Brest in seventeenth. With the margins so tight, Nantes’ overdue objective on Sunday may just make the variation.

Clermont have been with out key defenders Neto Borges and Alidu Seidu in opposition to Nice on the Allianz Riviera on Sunday, however they installed an excellent efficiency and gained 2-1. Now on 4 instantly wins – their best possible run within the best flight – and in 9th position, Pascal Gastien’s facet have exceeded expectancies greater than every other staff within the department. A 12 months after dropping best scorer Mohamed Bayo and midfield lynchpin Salis Abdul Samed, the skilled supervisor has his staff as resolute and neatly arranged as ever, an enormous testomony to his principled manner.