All of Rennes' usual suspects were on the scoresheet as Bruno Genesio's side got back to winning ways in emphatic fashion, trouncing Lorient 5-0 at Roazhon Park despite a red card for stopper Nayef Aguerd and moving into move into equal third, locked on points with Monaco.
Stade Rennais FC 5-0 FC Lorient
THE MATCH
After conceding back-to-back defeats for just a third time this season (2-3 loss to Monaco in R32, 2-1 defeat to Strasbourg in R33), Rennes were out to set the record straight and they did so in emphatic fashion as they fired an unanswered five goals past Lorient 'keeper Mathieu Dreyer.
With two wins in their last three, Les Merlus were hoping to carve out some breathing space above the relegation zone, but it quickly became clear they would struggle as Benjamin Bourigeaud confirmed his recent form with the game's opener. After Martin Terrier's cross was deflected onto the post, Bourigeaud was on hand to tap home (17').
Two minutes later the order was reversed as the Rennes midfielder played Terrier in behind the defence to laugh home an angled shot (19') and then two minutes after the break, he crossed for Traoré to nod home at the near post (47') and increase Rennes' stranglehold on the match.
False dawn for Lorient
At 3-0 down, Lorient had their hopes raised when Rennes stopper Nayef Aguerd saw red for bringing down Enzo Le Fée as the last defender (58'), but then had penalty claims waved away (72') before Flavien Tait thumped home a 20-metre drive to remind everyone who was wining the match (79').
Lorient pushed late to pull one back for their pride, with Laurent Abergel (87') and Fabien Lemoine (90') forcing Rennes 'keeper Dogan Alemdar into action, but again Genesio's side had the last word, with livewire forward Gaëtan Laborde staying composed in the box to convert youth academy graduate Lorenz Assignon's cut-back for the fifth and final goal of the day (90'+3).
Rennes now sit third, locked on points with Monaco (and potentially Strasbourg) but with a 19-goal goal-difference advantage - which was 14 before today! - that could prove crucial when the time comes to hand out Champions League places at the end of the season. Meanwhile Lorient sit three points clear of the play-off place in 15th.
THE PLAYER: Benjamin Bourgieaud
The all-action midfielder just can't get out from among the goals, scoring the game's opener and then setting up Martin Terrier and Hamari Traoré. The former Lens man has bagged six of his total eight goals and eight of this season's 11 assists in his last nine matches alone and is clearly a driving force behind Rennes' push for a Champions League finish.
THE STAT: 21
Former Strasbourg and Lyon forward Martin Terrier now has 21 goals for the season - more than double his previous season best of nine goals (notched with OL in 2018-19) - and sits in close second on the Ligue 1 Uber Eats scorers chart, just behind PSG's Kylian Mbappé and level with Monaco's Wissam Ben Yedder.
