And here we go again. Second in the championship, Gym was away in Rennes to kick off the 18th day of Ligue 1. Let’s review.
The last encounter between Rennes and the Azuréens ended in favor of Gym, who emerged victorious in the first leg turned in favor of the Gym. The Eagles are also coming off a home win against RC Lens in the championship (2-0). The Bretons are not lagging either. Having recently defeated Guingamp in the Coupe de France, Rennes seems to maintain its beautiful pre-break momentum.
Regarding the squad, Francesco Farioli is significantly weakened and must cope without his players in the infirmary: Khephren Thuram (knee), Sofiane Diop (foot), and Romain Perraud (thigh). Jean-Clair Todibo, one of the stalwarts of the defense, is serving his third and final match of suspension. Let’s not forget Badouia, Atal, and Boga, who are currently at the CAN. This starts to be a lot despite the returns of Bouanani and Baldé, along with the new arrival Mohamed-Ali Cho…
Absences that are felt
Well-organized and in place, Stade Rennais logically opened the score thanks to a penalty by Bourigeaud, which materialized the dominance of the Breton collective. Deprived of the ball and blocked in midfield, OGC Nice was greatly hindered in their playmaking. There were opportunities for Gym in the second half, but efficiency was not there. Quite the opposite for the Bretons who extended their lead at the 54th minute of play. Breaking through behind Dante, Kalimuendo left no chance for Marcin Bulka.
The victory didn’t elude Stade Rennais, who are now only 2 points behind Strasbourg (9th) in the standings before their next away game in Lyon. On the other hand, Nice hadn’t experienced 3 consecutive away losses in the top division since March-April 2022. The Eagles still hold a 2-point lead over Monaco before hosting Metz in the next match day.
