Ligue 1: Lepaul strikes inside five minutes as Rennes lead Le Mans
Rennes hosted newly promoted Le Mans FC in matchday 2 of Ligue 1 at Roazhon Park on Sunday, with in-form striker Estéban Lepaul putting the hosts ahead inside five minutes.
Kickoff and early action
On Sunday, 30 August, at 17:15 local time, Roazhon Park in Rennes hosted the matchday 2 fixture of France's Ligue 1 between Stade Rennais and newly promoted Le Mans FC. The match was refereed by Romain Lissorgue, with heavy rain and temperatures around 20°C affecting conditions, according to Eurosport.
The hosts took the lead as early as the 5th minute: forward Estéban Lepaul received the ball in the box from a pass by Adrien Thomasson, turned and fired a precise strike past goalkeeper Nicolas Kocik. Eurosport notes this was Lepaul's ninth goal since April — more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues over that span — and he has now scored in seven consecutive matches.
In the 9th minute, a corner from Frankowski found Issa Soumaré's head, but the effort flew over the crossbar. In the 11th minute, goalkeeper Simon Lemaître made his first intervention, coming off his line to head clear a long ball. Later in the half, Lemaître also saved a tight-angle attempt from Mafouta.
Lineups
Rennes coach Franck Haise made two changes from the draw against PSG: with Brice Samba sidelined by a muscular issue, Lemaître started in goal, while Quentin Merlin replaced Mahamadou Nagida on the left side of defence. Ahead of the match, Stade Rennais Online had projected Nagida to start, but Eurosport confirms Merlin was the one actually fielded. Le Mans were without loanee Rayan Bamba, who is barred from facing his parent club Rennes under a contractual agreement, as well as injured players Larouci, Yohou and Colas.
Context
Both sides opened the season with draws. Rennes led Paris Saint-Germain for much of their match before being pegged back in the final quarter-hour to finish 2-2, while Le Mans, back in Ligue 1 after a 16-year absence, drew 2-2 with Brest. Per BBC data, Rennes entered the match 13th in the table and Le Mans 12th, both with one point and two goals scored. According to Le Mans FC, more than 1,000 club supporters travelled to Rennes for the game.
