FC Lorient beat Stade Rennais FC 1-0 in the season-opening Brittany derby at Roazhon Park on Sunday. Earlier there were wins for RC Lens, LOSC Lille and Montpellier Hérault SC.
Stade Rennais FC 0-1 FC Lorient
THE MATCH
Rennes’ close season has been dominated by their attempts to strengthen a defence that has been stripped of Nayef Aguerd and Warmed Omari, two standouts in the heart of the back four in the last campaign. Aguerd has gone to West Ham United while Omari is injured. The Bretons have replaced them with Belgian prospect Arthur Theate and Welsh international Joe Rodon, signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
With Steve Mandanda arriving from Olympique de Marseille, there was a new look to the Rennes back line. At least they could rely on a familiar attack, but Gaëtan Laborde, Martin Terrier and Benjamin Bourigeaud failed to impress here in the same way they so often did last season.
Instead this game was decided in Lorient’s favour by a 65th-minute own goal by the unfortunate Theate. In trying to prevent a Gédéon Kalulu cross from the right reaching Terem Moffi in the area, Theate stuck out a leg but only succeeded in sending the ball over Mandanda and into his own goal.
Rennes could not find an equaliser, and Lorient almost scored again, with Armand Laurienté striking the post from a tight angle. Nevertheless, with Yvon Mvogo in impressive form in the away goal, Lorient held on for a fine victory to start the campaign.
THE PLAYER: Arthur Theate
All eyes were on the Rennes defence and it was a debut to forget for Theate, the 22-year-old Belgian international signed from Bologna for a reported €20 million in late July. He will hope that things can only get better for him and his new club.
THE STAT: 50
This was Bruno Genesio’s 50th Ligue 1 game in charge of Rennes. In contrast, his opposite number Régis Le Bris was taking charge of Lorient for the first time. What a start it was for the man who previously spent seven years in charge of Lorient’s reserves. Le Bris also represented Rennes during his playing days.
Elsewhere, Florian Sotoca scored a hat-trick in a remarkable performance as RC Lens began the campaign with a 3-2 defeat of Stade Brestois 29 at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Sotoca’s opener before the half-hour mark was followed by him having a penalty saved by Marco Bizot after Seko Fofana had been fouled in the Brest area.
Sotoca did double the home side’s lead when he headed in a Przemysław Frankowski corner just after the hour mark, and shortly after he lobbed the outrushing Bizot in style to make it 3-0 and become the first Lens player to score a top-flight hat-trick since Toifilou Maoulida in April 2010.
Brest pulled a goal back when a Haris Belkebla strike deflected in off Kevin Danso and further reduced the arrears through a late Romain Del Castillo penalty, but Lens held on.
Up the road from there, LOSC Lille started with a win in their first game under new coach Paulo Fonseca as they crushed AJ Auxerre 4-1. They started in style, Benjamin André firing home inside 40 seconds and Jonathan David picking his spot to make it 2-0 in the third minute. David scored again before half-time after being set up by Rémy Cabella, and summer signing Akim Zedadka scored the fourth in the second half. Gaëtan Charbonnier pulled one back for Auxerre in their first top-flight game in a decade.
Montpellier won on the opening day of the campaign for the first time since 2017 as they defeated ESTAC Troyes 3-2 at the Stade de la Mosson. Faitout Maouassa crossed for Théo Sainte-Luce to give the hosts a third-minute lead only for Florian Tardieu to equalise for the visitors from a 12th-minute penalty. Téji Savanier quickly restored Montpellier’s advantage in rather soft fashion (15’), but the remarkable start continued as Troyes were level again two minutes later via an emphatic finish by Mama Baldé. Nevertheless, Montpellier had the last laugh as Savanier struck the winner nine minutes from time with a floating first-time shot from the edge of the area.
Sunday’s other game saw FC Nantes make the short trip up the Loire to face Angers SCO and leave the Stade Raymond-Kopa with a point after a 0-0 draw.