Redemption can wait...

Stade Rennes was seeking for redemption. Criticised after their elimination in the Coupe de la Ligue and their latest results in Europa League and in Ligue 1, Antonetti’s men – who intervened to defend his team on Friday – were expected to react against Valenciennes this Sunday. Valenciennes faced numerous absences while Rennes enjoyed the returns of Kana-Biyik and Kembo, both included in the starting line-up.

And the Bretons would soon measure the latter’s impact in attack. At the 4th minute, he enjoyed a few deflections to eliminate two defenders before launching the first shot on target in the game, deflected for a corner by Penneteau. Three minutes later, it was Pitroipa who stumbled on the Valenciennes keeper (7’). The Rennais were enterprising, and produced another good chance on a free-kick taken by Féret and headed towards goal by Danzé (12’).

The usual scenario

In a jerky match, Rennes was not protected from the Nord team’s counter-attacks however. After accelerating on his wing, Danic crossed and earned a corner-kick, but Mangane cleared the ball. Mangane, who would be forced to leave the pith at the 19th minute. Just before the beginning of the game, the centre back had announced he had “a little ankle problem” and that he was “at the limit”. Meanwhile, Aboubakar faced Costil on a one-to-one situation, but the Rennes keeper did well to protect is goal-line.

He would take a personal exploit by Kembo for Rennes to open the score. The forward received the ball on the right wing and placed it in the opposite top-corner of Penneteau with a splendid left-footed curler (1-0, 21’), before rushing in the arms of Frédéric Antonetti by the Rennes bench in sign of his support. Rennes would soon be on the back foot after scoring however. The Bretons found it harder and harder to get near the Valenciennes goal and would concede the equaliser on a set piece: on a corner, Gomis beat the Rennes defence in its own six meters and headed the ball in the back of the net (1-1, 29’). A situation in which the Rennes defence can certainly take some blame, and history repeating itself for the “Rouge et Noir”, now used to be caught up after scoring the first goal.

Rennes can’t complain

While the first half was fairly even, the beginning of the second was clearly in favour of Valenciennes. On a corner, Angoua’s header went wide (49’) and Aboubakar also failed to hit the target with a volley (50’) and a range shot (52’). Feverish, Rennes had gone close to be punished. Antonetti’s men had to wait until the hour mark to finally make their way back into the Valenciennes half, with shots by Féret (61e) and Hadji (62e) – just in as a substitute – but still struggle to come anywhere near the opposition’s goal. Instead, Valenciennes created several clear chances, and was centimetres away from scoring a second goal when Cohade saw his shot skim Costil’s right post (77’).

Slightly sluggish, missing legs and inspiration, Rennes finally came out of the game with the point of a draw under a concert of whistles from the Stade de la Route de Lorient. Nearly a positive result when looking at the numerous opportunities created by Valenciennes throughout the game. “The results are proving me wrong, but not the content”, said Frédéric Antonetti on Friday. By the look of tonight’s game, the Rennes manager might be forced to rethink his judgement.

Match Facts

STADE RENNAIS FC 1 - 1 VALENCIENNES FC (half-time : 1-1)

Ligue 1, Game Week 13
Sunday, 6th November 2011, 17:00

Stade de la Route de Lorient
Attendance : 20 006 spectators

Referee : Hervé Piccirillo

Goals : Kembo (21’) for Rennes. Gomis (29’) for Valenciennes.

Yellow Cards : Montaño (11’), Théophile-Catherine (61’), Hadji (88’) for Rennes. Angoua (11’), Aboubakar (30’), Mater (83’), Saez (90+2’) for Valenciennes.

- Stade Rennais FC : Costil - Danzé, Kana-Biyik, Mangane (Mandjeck, 20’), Théophile-Catherine - M’Vila, Doumbia, Féret (Pajot, 67’) - Kembo, Montaño (Hadji, 54’), Pitroipa.

Manager : Frédéric Antonetti.

- Valenciennes FC : Penneteau - Mater, Isimat-Mirin, Angoua, M. Traoré (Lala, 83’) - Gomis, Sanchez - Cohade, Kadir, Danic - Aboubakar (Samassa, 89’).

Manager : Daniel Sanchez.