Stade Rennais FC were beaten 4-0 by Olympique Lyonnais on 19 September in Ligue 1's fifth matchday. This heavy defeat, their third loss in five games, shows the early-season struggles for Frédéric Haise's side.
The scoreline is harsh on Stade Rennais FC, who failed to seriously trouble Lyon despite enjoying 55% possession. Ernest Nuamah opened the scoring in the 7th minute from a Corentin Tolisso assist before adding a second at the 30th minute. Zachary Athekame compounded the misery at the 48th minute, and Tolisso completed Lyon's offensive shows at the 76th minute.
A powerless Stade Rennais FC lineup
Frédéric Haise set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Brice Samba in goal, a back four of Frankowski, Cresswell, Ait Boudlal and Merlin, and Valentin Rongier as the holding midfielder. In attack, Arnaud Nordin, Adrien Thomasson, Mohamed Camara and Eliezer Mayenda were tasked with supporting Boulaye Dia. This system could not withstand Lyon's attacks, with the hosts hitting the target nine times from fifteen attempts, compared to just four on target from thirteen for Stade Rennais FC. The visitors also committed fourteen fouls, earning yellow cards for Quentin Merlin and Valentin Rongier.
A worrying run of form
This defeat extends a difficult run of results for Stade Rennais FC. Their record over the last five matches now stands at one win, one draw and three defeats. Their last victory was on 11 September against Marseille. Their top scorer this season, Esteban Lepaul, came off the bench in the 61st minute. He has three goals in five appearances this campaign.
The team must now regroup before the league resumes. The next fixture is a home match against AJ Auxerre on 11 October. To see where the club stands in the table, the Ligue 1 standings are updated.
