“This game is all too similar to the other ones”, Genesio said. “We are in overall control of the game, but there are too few shots on target and too little offensive efficiency, and when the opposing team attacks, they score with few opportunities.” Despite a relatively easy run of fixtures to start the season, Rennes only won two games out of ten, drawing six and losing two. An output described by Genesio as “significantly not enough.”

The former Lyon manager also gave a warning to his players. “We need to stay united, together, and if several players depart from our way, they will pay the consequences. I haven’t noticed this, but that’s a warning.” Rennes will face league leaders Nice at the Allianz Riviera next Sunday.

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Strasbourg were comprehensively losing the midfield battle with some of their players not looking like they knew what they were supposed to do – a worrying pattern for Vieira’s Strasbourg this season. It only felt right that Rennes opened the scoring on their very first shot on target. Strasbourg left-back Thomas Delaine left too much time and space for Lorenz Assignon to cross. Lucas Perrin fumbled his clearance with the ball falling to Adrien Truffert, whose well-taken right-footed curler found its way home. Rennes were far from their best, but it was well enough to tame a dismal Strasbourg side.

The Alsatians kept on leaving the initiative to Rennes, without proving much of a threat to Mandanda. Vieira had enough and brought on two centre-forwards, Kevin Gameiro and Lebo Mothiba, at the hour mark to force through an equalizer. Meanwhile, Bruno Genesio’s players were let down by their final touch, meaning the overall quality of the second half was quite low. Strasbourg goalie Matz Sels was however alert to prevent Benjamin Bourigeaud from scoring a direct free-kick and put the game to bed. Gameiro also went close with the half-volley, showing the frailty of the hosts’ one-goal lead.

The visitors eventually found a way back in the game, punishing another spell of complacency from the Bretons. Gameiro’s powerful effort outside the box was badly mishandled by Mandanda and Mothiba was on cue to restore parity. Vieira’s substitutions paid off, whilst Genesio’s had very little impact in the second half. The visitors even finished strongly but nothing could separate the teams in the end. Strasbourg’s position in the league (14th) remains precarious but the Alsatians will take solace in grabbing a point on the road. Rennes’ start of the season keeps on being underwhelming and questions need to be asked whether Genesio is the right man to fulfil the Brittany side’s grand ambitions.

Rennes players ratings

Steve Mandanda, 4

Lorenz Assignon, 6

Warmed Omari, 5

Jeanuël Belocian, 6 – In the absence of Arthur Theate, the youngster stepped up, pocketing Emegha and displaying good passing quality, physicality as well as good awareness in his positioning.

Adrien Truffert, 6

Benjamin Bourigeaud, 5

Nemanja Matic, 5 – The experienced Serbian midfielder produced another quality shift at the heart of Rennes’ midfield, dictating play and losing very few balls, but only in the first half. And he really should keep his composure when dealing with the refereeing team.  His substitution was arguably the starting point of Strasbourg’s resurgence.

Désiré Doué, 4

Ludovic Blas, 4

Arnaud Kalimuendo, 5 – The France U21 international had little on his plate, but to his credit, he showed glimpses of improvement in his holdup play. Replaced by Martin Terrier, who is slowly building his fitness back after nine months on the sidelines.

Amine Gouiri, 3

Strasbourg players ratings

Matz Sels, 6

Marvin Senaya, 5

Lucas Perrin, 4

Gerzino Nyamsi, 4

Thomas Delaine, 3

Ismaël Doukouré, 4

Junior Mwanga, 4

Ângelo Gabriel, 3 – The Chelsea loanee started well, looking like the only Strasbourg player able to make a difference. But his influence rapidly waned. The Brazilian was also outpaced by Truffert for the latter’s opening goal. Did not make it past the hour mark and was replaced by Kevin Gameiro, who was influential in restoring parity in the 81st minute.

Dilane Bakwa, 3 – The former Girondins winger was nowhere to be seen and was of little use to his teammates, losing a staggering tally of 14 balls in the first half alone.

Moïse Sahi Dion, 4

Emanuel Emegha, 4

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Vieira is expected to bring changes to the side that crumbled at the Parc des Princes last Saturday. Chelsea loanee Ângelo Gabriel (18), who was absent from the squad that lost to PSG after picking up a minor hamstring injury, is expected to get the nod from Vieira. It’s welcome news for Strasbourg given the Brazilian winger has impressed for his new side, displaying promising dribbling abilities. L’Equipe understands Dutch centre-forward Emanuel Emegha is set to start up front against the Bretons.

Strasbourg likely line-up against Rennes

Matz Sels – Marvin Senaya, Gerzino Nyamsi, Lucas Perrin, Thomas Delaine – Ângelo Gabriel, Junior Mwanga, Ismaël Doukouré, Dilane Bakwa – Moïse Sahi Dion, Emanuel Emegha

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Liverpool’s lead was short-lived though. Nicklas Schmidt’s excellent pass fed Aron Dönnum, who showed great vision to beat the offside trap and release the untracked Thijs Dallinga who emphatically fired home in front of the Kop. Both Liverpool full-backs, as well as Caoimhin Kelleher, really should have done better. Les Violets grew in confidence and boldly went toe-to-toe with the Reds. Toulouse’s off-the-ball work to screen Liverpool’s passing lanes was remarkable, and we had an open game on our hands.

Toulouse came undone in four minutes

Toulouse were however powerless to prevent Trent Alexander-Arnold from pinging a trademark inch-perfect cross for the unlikely Wataru Endo to loop in a precise header in Restes’ bottom corner at the half-hour mark. The hosts’ ruthlessness were too much to handle for Toulouse. Four minutes later, Liverpool got themselves a third goal following a mazy run from Ryan Gravenberch with the ball rebounding off Curtis Jones’ arm and into the path of Nunez, who rifled past under Restes’ crossbar.

Only minutes in the second half, Toulouse were offered a way back in the game following a blunder from Kelleher. Suazo had the goal at his mercy, but he scuttled a shot straight at the onrushing Alexander-Arnold. The Reds were guilty of complacency, showing little intent to put the game to bed for good. Dönnum’s casual back-pass was instantly punished with Nunez running rampant and finding Restes’ post. The excellent Gravenberch was on hand to score the rebound.

Toulouse’s chance to create the upset had passed, and the gap in class between the sides was evident for all to see when Klopp allowed himself to sub on Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian put the icing on the cake with a clinical finish in injury time. Despite a spirited first half-hour, Les Violets were comprehensively beaten at Anfield. They will host Liverpool at the Stadium Municipal in a fortnight. The evening brought more bad news for Toulouse, they are no longer second in Group E following Union Saint-Gilloise’s late 2-1 win against LASK.

Toulouse players ratings

Guillaume Restes, 5 – There’s little he could have done to prevent the first three Liverpool goals. Still, the 18-year-old appeared unfazed on the big stage, showing good anticipation and making a strong stop to deny Gravenberch in the first half and Nunez in the second half.

Gabriel Suazo, 3 – The Chilean had an evening to forget. Despite his experience, he appeared jittery, lost too many easy balls and gave Alexander-Arnold too much freedom. The way he fumbled an open goal, and failed to halve Toulouse’s deficit, is borderline unforgivable.

Logan Costa, 4

Moussa Diarra, 4

Rasmus Nicolaisen, 5

Mikkel Desler, 5

Cristian Casseres, 5

Vincent Sierro, 4

Niklas Schmidt, 5

Aron Dönnum, 4

Thijs Dallinga, 6 – He only needed one clear goal-scoring opportunity to get off the mark, and that’s what good strikers do. Showed great pace and anticipation to perfectly time his run before overpowering Kelleher for the equalizer. Had too little on his plate though, and was well-handled by Gomez and Matip. Should have been credited with an assist if not for Suazo’s awful miss. 

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Players and staff members had to pull both men apart to prevent further escalation. The outlet reports that Sakho, who only played six minutes this Ligue 1 season, was incensed during Tuesday’s training game at Montpellier’s Grammont centre. After not being given a foul by Der Zakarian, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool defender stormed out of the pitch.

The unimpressed Der Zakarian reportedly scolded him, saying it was not up to Sakho to decide how and when he should train. The France international fought back by mentioning his peaceful behavior within the squad despite severely limited game time. L’Equipe understands that Der Zakarian’s rather derogatory answer was the spark that ignited the brawl with Sakho losing his temper and grabbing his head coach by the collar, subsequently making him fall to the dressing room floor.

Ligue 1 insider Mohamed Toubache-Ter believes that Der Zakarian called Sakho a “cry-baby‘ and that the latter kicked him to the floor, notably breaking Der Zakarian’s necklace – a family heirloom – which enraged the former Nantes and Brest boss.

Speaking to L’Equipe, Der Zakarian informed that he had “nothing to say” on the matter. The outlet understands that this training ground brawl was probably the last straw for Sakho. The PSG youth product is entering his final contract year at Montpellier, who failed to offload him last summer. The 33-year-old may even be dismissed by Montpellier over serious misconduct.

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Konaté and Lucas Hernandez have never played together as centre-backs for France. They played only one game together for Les Bleus: the 2022 World Cup group stage opener against Australia, during which the left-back suffered a season-ending ACL injury. France manager Didier Deschamps has to tweak his starting defense due to several injuries that marred France’s international camp. Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano, Arsenal’s William Saliba, Barcelona’s Jules Koundé and Chelsea’s Axel Disasi have all pulled out of the France squad. Chelsea’s Malo Gusto and Leipzig’s Castello Lukeba have received their maiden call-up.

Logically, Lucas’ younger brother, Théo Hernandez, is set to start as left-back. Koundé’s injury means that Deschamps has to choose between Benjamin Pavard and Jonathan Clauss to play as a right-back. Given the Marseille man’s lack of experience at international level, the Inter Milan centre-back may get the nod from Deschamps to start at Amsterdam on the right side. L’Equipe understands that Pavard – a former Lille OSC youth product – might start as a centre-back for next Tuesday’s friendly game against Scotland at Lille’s Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

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On the back of a home defeat against in-form leaders Laval, Bordeaux have decided to dismiss David Guion. The Gironde side are thirteenth in the league, logging only three wins in ten games played since the start of the campaign. Bordeaux were on a four-game winless streak.

L’Equipe and Sud-Ouest have reported this Monday morning that former Bordeaux and Liverpool player Albert Riera is touted as the priority to take over from Guion. The Ligue 2 side is in negotiations with Riera’s club, Slovenian league leaders NK Celje, to release him from his contract. Celje confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that “negotiations for compensation are underway.“

Riera hung up his boots in 2018. He started in coaching career as an assistant coach at Galatasaray. He then led Olimpija Ljubljana to a league and cup double last season in Slovenia. The Spaniard has reportedly agreed to link up with Bordeaux over a contract running until 2025.

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AS Monaco are leading Ligue 1 with the international break now upon us. Les Monégasques have soared to victory at Reims whilst PSG and Marseille have put aside their midweek European disappointments to clinch comprehensive wins.

Strasbourg 1 – 2 Nantes

A week after losing the Breton derby at Rennes, Nantes have admirably brushed themselves off with a convincing away win at BlueCo-owned Strasbourg. Patrick Vieira’s side have halved the deficit all too late. The Arsenal legend has lamented his side’s worst game since he’s in charge of the Alsatians.

Metz 0 – 1 Nice

Hicham Boudaoui’s early goal was enough for Les Aiglons to clinch three valuable points. The impeccable Jean-Clair Todibo put on a dominant display against Les Grenats. The former Barcelona centre-back also received a France call-up in replacing the injured William Saliba. Francesco Farioli’s side is now the only remaining unbeaten team in Ligue 1.

Reims 1 – 3 Monaco

The free-scoring AS Monaco side impressed again in lodging three goals against a tough-to-crack and confident Reims side. Goals from Ismail Jakobs, Folarin Balogun and Wissam Ben Yedder ensured the Principality club are top of the league until after the international break. Monaco are the only Ligue 1 team with five wins since the start of the campaign.

Marseille 3 – 0 Le Havre

Gennaro Gattuso’s OM have lifted off in dominating a frail Le Havre side. Les Phocéens were already 2-0 up after 21 minutes courtesy of an own goal from Arouna Sangante and a chipped finish from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Former Watford winger Ismaila Sarr put the icing on the cake thanks to a delightful assist from the Gabonese forward. Marseille climbed up to sixth place.

The backheel assist from Aubameyang pic.twitter.com/7HIaGUotlM

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 8, 2023

Lyon 3 – 3 Lorient

Les Gones are not the only team in Europe’s top five leagues to have never led this season no more. The problem is, they remain a winless mess. Fabio Grosso’s Lyon were 3-1 up, notably thanks to Ernest Nuamah’s first goal for the home side and a brace from Alexandre Lacazette. But they crumbled late on and Les Merlus restored parity in the second half. Grosso confirmed his side was now fighting to keep their Ligue 1 status.

The first for Ernest Nuamah pic.twitter.com/CLIFIRcKho

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 9, 2023

Brest 1 – 1 Toulouse

Uruguayan centre-forward Martin Satriano canceled out Frank Magri’s opener deep in injury time to salvage a point for the Bretons. After rocking to the top of the standings, Eric Roy’s side have now fallen out of the podium places. Toulouse remain in midtable.

Montpellier 4 – 2 Clermont (suspended)

Michel Der Zakarian’s side were 4-2 up courtesy of braces from Musa Al-Taamari and Téji Savanier when a firecracker exploded at the feet of Clermont goalie Mory Diaw. The game has been definitely called off. It should have been an afternoon to celebrate for the home side, but Montpellier may now lose more than this game.

Lens 1 – 1 Lille

On the back of their impressive win against Arsenal in the Champions League, the Artois side were held to a home draw against their bitter Nord rivals. Les Dogues opened the scoring before half-time against the run of play through Benjamin André. Deiver Machado restored parity in the second half.

Rennes 1 – 3 PSG

After their Champions League humbling against Newcastle, PSG returned to winning ways against their bogey team, Stade Rennais. Luis Enrique reverted to a more balanced 3-man midfield with the inclusion of Vitinha, who opened the scoring with a stunning curling effort. Achraf Hakimi doubled his side’s lead and Amine Gouiri halved his side’s deficit. Randal Kolo Muani immediately restored Les Parisiens’ two-goal buffer. PSG climbed up to third place.

THAT'S RIDICULOUS, VITINHA pic.twitter.com/HiO9h7nEXH

— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) October 8, 2023

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In his post-game press conference attended by Get French Football News, the Spaniard said he was happy with how PSG fought back after their St James Park humbling. “But I was happy too after the Newcastle defeat”, added the Spaniard, who evidently maintains his belief that Wednesday’s 4-1 scoreline did not reflect Paris Saint-Germain’s performance.

The former Spain national team manager also praised Vitinha for his performance against Rennes. The Portuguese midfielder opened the scoring with a stunning curling effort. “He is a player who adapts perfectly to our idea of ​​football, a very complete player. He never loses the ball, he can dribble, make assists, score, and he knows what to do depending on the position of the ball. He’s an intense player and he operates at a high level.”

Finally, Luis Enrique spoke of Kylian Mbappé. The France skipper had an eventful game. He showed glimpses of his commanding best with his trademark bursts of pace but he failed to register a single goal contribution. He also missed an open goal after rounding past former France teammate Steve Mandanda. “It’s weird he did not score, but it’s only anecdotal. I liked what he brought in attack and in defence.“

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Les Rouge et Noir were oozing way more confidence in their game plan than Luis Enrique’s team. Stade Rennais were so coordinated in their pressing as well as in their positioning that it looked like PSG would need a spark of individual brilliance to break the deadlock. Such an occasion arrived when Ousmane Dembélé rolled back the years, zooming through the Roazhon Park pitch before finding Vitinha at the right edge of Rennes’ penalty box. The Portuguese stepped over and lashed a stunning curling effort in Steve Mandanda’s top-left corner.

Rennes took a blow and Les Parisiens doubled the lead minutes later. Promising 17-year-old midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery chipped an inch-perfect cross for the unmarked Achraf Hakimi to head home from close range as Rennes left-back Jeanuël Belocian made a mess of the offside trap. The Moroccan looked to have handled the ball in the build-up though. A clinical PSG entered the break with a two-goal lead.

Les Parisiens were in cruise control and should have made it three when Gonçalo Ramos failed to convert a counter-attack engineered by a trademark Kylian Mbappé burst of pace. However, they were too lenient in defending, allowing Ludovic Blas too much time to cross for Amine Gouiri to head home. Rennes’ rebellion was short-lived. The rampant Hakimi again escaped the notice of the Rennes defenders to lay a perfect cross for Randal Kolo Muani, who scored only seconds after replacing Ramos.

PSG regained full control of the proceedings with Rennes looking beaten before the end’s conclusion. Bruno Genesio took advantage of the circumstances by adding some feel-good factor around Roazhon Park with Martin Terrier receiving a hero’s welcome, nine months after a serious knee and meniscus injury. Bradley Barcola and Mbappé failed to swell their team’s lead, but PSG showed enough quality and star power to inflict Rennes their first defeat of the campaign. The Ligue 1 champions have climbed up to third place, two points short of leaders AS Monaco. Rennes remain out of the European places.

Rennes players ratings

Steve Mandanda, 5

Lorenz Assignon, 5

Warmed Omari, 4

Arthur Theate, 4

Jeanuël Belocian, 3 – The 18-year-old’s inclusion was a bold choice from Genesio. Unfortunately, he struggled to match Dembélé’s and Hakimi’s pace and was at fault for the Moroccan’s goal for PSG. Genesio put an end to his agony by replacing him by Adrien Truffert after the hour mark.

Nemanja Matic, 6 – The Serbian midfielder was his side’s best player on the pitch, launching himself into tackles, cutting passing lanes as well as matching the PSG midfielders’ intensity.

Benjamin Bourigeaud, 5

Fabian Rieder, 4

Ludovic Blas, 5

Arnaud Kalimuendo, 5

Amine Gouiri, 6

PSG players ratings

Gianluigi Donnarumma, 6

Achraf Hakimi, 7 – As usual, he often bombed forward on his right side, providing Dembélé with the overlap in Rennes’ half of the pitch. He scored PSG’s much-needed second goal minutes after the opener and perfectly set up Kolo Muani for the third. Had he prevented Gouiri from heading home, it would have been a complete performance.

Marquinhos, 6

Milan Skriniar, 5

Lucas Hernandez, 6

Manuel Ugarte, 6

Warren Zaïre-Emery, 7

Vitinha, 7 – With the Portuguese midfielder starting, Luis Enrique’s team is a way more balanced and coherent package, acting as a bridge between the strikers scarcely involved in pressing and the other PSG players. His hybrid role as an advanced left-sided midfielder looks tailor-made for him. The way he attempted, and managed, to find Mandanda’s top corner is a testament to his confidence.

Ousmane Dembélé, 6

Gonçalo Ramos, 3 – The former Benfica man had a hard time tonight. He squandered several opportunities to put the game to bed. Even worse, a loose pass from him enabled Rennes to work their way towards Gouiri’s goal. Replaced by Randal Kolo Muani (7) who immediately got up to speed to provide a poacher’s finish.

Kylian Mbappé, 4 – He stuck to the left touchline in the first half, but he was mostly kept at bay by Assignon. Played as a second striker alongside Ramos and Kolo Muani in the second half, with better results. He’s marginally improving, but he struggled to reach the heights he used us to. Skied a complete sitter after rounding past Mandanda and complaining more often than not to the referee.

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