Martin Terrier inspired Rennes to a superb 4-2 victory against Montpellier at the Stade de la Mosson on Friday night, to stay firmly in the mix for European qualification.
THE MATCH
Bruno Génésio's Rennes arrived on the south coast on the back of a four-game losing streak away from Roazhon Park but the early signs on Friday night suggested that they were looking to put an end to their unwanted run, as they took the game to Montpellier from the kick-off.
A frantic opening 20 minutes set the tone for an entertaining night of football at the Stade de la Mosson between two of Ligue 1 Uber Eats' highest-scoring teams.
Former Montpellier striker Gaëtan Laborde was making his first return to the Stade de la Mosson and whilst all eyes were on the 27-year-old, it was two other Rennes forwards that provided the visitors with a dream start.
Fast out of the blocks
The Breton outfit took a deserved lead when captain Hamari Traoré delivered a perfectly-weighted cross and Martin Terrier headed home from seven-yards out (8').
Terrier's opener stunned the hosts but Rennes were in no mood to let them off the hook. Once again Traoré was given the freedom of Montpellier down the right flank and his cut-back found the unmarked Benjamin Bourigeaud, who made no mistake from eight yards to extend the advantage (15').
Montpellier's talismanic captain Téji Savanier marshalled his shell shocked side and to their credit, quickly pulled themselves together to reduce the arrears. Savanier's searching cross found Ambroise Oyongo and the left-back struck a superb first-time effort from 12-yards out, leaving Rennes 'keeper Alfred Gomis stranded (19').
The crowd at the Mosson regained a sense of hope and turned up the decibel level as Olivier Dall'Oglio's men pressed for an equaliser before the break.
Typically, Savanier was at the heart of it, whipping crosses into dangerous areas as Montpellier piled on the pressure.
With Rennes standing firm it was going to take something special for Montpellier to turn it around and what followed was a moment of magic.
Wonderful Wahi
Joris Chotard's cross from the right found Elye Wahi and the 19-year-old diverted a stunning scissor kick past Gomis, to the delight of a joyous Mosson crowd. (41').
The half-time break provided those inside the stadium with a chance to catch their breath but it didn't take long for the high-octane action to restart.
Arnaud Souquet's clumsy challenge on the excellent Terrier provided the returning Laborde with the chance to fire Rennes ahead from the penalty spot and he made no mistake, sending Montpellier 'keeper Jonas Omlin the wrong way (52').
Montpellier hit back. Savanier's dead-ball instincts were causing Rennes all sorts of problems and his effort from 35-yards was headed on to the bar by the unfortunate Laborde and out to safety (67').
As the game headed for the final stages changes were made in both dugouts to influence the final outcome. Génésio replaced the excellent Terrier to enforce a defensive approach whilst Dall'Oglio did the opposite as he pushed for another equaliser.
But it was Rennes who had the final say when Lovro Majer fired home the winner after some excellent pressing from Baptiste Santamaria and a delightful one-two with Bourigeaud (84').
The result ensured Rennes provisionally moved up to fourth place whilst Montpellier remain in seventh, three points adrift of Génésio's men.
THE PLAYER: Martin Terrier
The Rennes forward opened the scoring with his 13th goal of the season and won the penalty for his side to regain the lead early in the second half. Terrier provides more than just goals for Rennes and is regularly delivering moments of magic with his silky footwork. Arguably in the best form of his career, Terrier is key to Rennes achieving their objectives this term.
THE STAT: 7
No other player born in 2003 or later has scored more goals than Montpellier's Elye Wahi, in Europe's top-five leagues. The Frenchman has seven goals to his name so far, including Friday night's stunning strike.