With Les Gones ultimately helpless as PSG beat Lens 2-0 earlier this evening, there was plenty of purposeful play early on without much end product, but that changed on 14 minutes, as Ainsley Maitland-Niles whipped in a delicious cross that Corentin Tolisso met with a well-directed header back across Rennes goalkeeper Brice Samba and in.
Rennes upped the urgency from there, and Habib Beye’s men had two penalty appeals waved away in quick succession, the latter of which saw Galatasaray loanee Przemyslaw Frankowski booked for diving.
Lyon could easily have presented Rennes with a comical equaliser, as Maitland-Niles’ underhit pass back to his goalkeeper was pounced on by Esteban Lepaul, but the home debutant saw his touch run agonisingly wide of Remy Descamps’ post.
At the other end, Khalis Merah took too long to decide whether to shoot or pass and wasted his opportunity, before squandering another chance as he streaked clear following Tanner Tessmann’s inch-perfect ball to him, only to be denied twice by Samba.
Nevertheless, Lyon manager Paulo Fonseca – serving the last match of his six-month ban from the dressing rooms for dissent – will have been fairly happy at half-time. Unsurprisingly, his opposite number Beye took action by making a double substitution.
But it was Lyon that had the next big chance, as Adam Karabec had a massive opportunity just after the hour mark, but after displaying quick feet, his extremely tame close-range effort was gathered in by Samba.
One of Beye’s later subs almost bore fruit instantly, as 17-year-old Mohamed Kader Meite’s side-footer was pushed behind by Descamps. It was a disappointing moment for the teenager, but Rennes now had a second wind and were pushing for a goal.
Their tails were certainly up when Tyler Morton’s crazy challenge from behind on Meite saw him sent off, leaving Lyon hanging on to their slender advantage.
Rennes duly punished Morton’s moment of madness when Anthony Rouault scrambled home following Quentin Merlin’s corner.
Meite then delivered heroics twice in stoppage time, firing in an effort at the near post that was ruled a Descamps own goal and then heading in Musa El-Taamari’s cross to extend the H2H run without a draw to 10 matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mohamed Kader Meite (Rennes)