Five-star Rennes at Le Havre as Angers see off Montpellier

Sunday's multiplex action saw some key action as four teams in the bottom half of the table faced off after Saint-Étienne and Stade Brestois played out a thrilling 3-3 draw earlier in the day. For Montpellier, Le Havre, and Angers, it came as an opportunity to capitalise - whilst Habib Beye and Rennes were looking to push towards the top half.

Five-star Rennes simply too much for Le Havre (5-1)

It was an all-action first 15 minutes at Le Havre's Stade Océane as Stade Rennais raced into a three-goal lead. It only took 42 seconds for Habib Beye's men to open the scoring in Normandy, when Christian Matisiwa finished into the back of the net after a mis-placed pass from Gorgelin allowed Kalimeundo to nip in and steal the ball (1').

The Bretons wouldn't have to wait long for their second, when Rennes pounced on the counter-attack with Kalimeundo and Assignon and the former putting the ball on a silver plate for the latter, who finished easily past Mathieu Gorgelin (12'). A third would come in quick succession, when Le Havre's defence stood still as Arnaud Kalimuendo met Mawissa's flicked cross with a header past Georgelin (15') which set in a disquieted atmosphere for the hosts. Just before half-time, Le Havre managed to claw one back when Junior Mwanga's freekick was well-struck and fizzed past Brice Samba who couldn't get a hand to it (40').

After the game settled for the rest of the first half, Rennes would quickly find the back of the net again as Musa Al-Taamari grabbed his first goal in a Rouge et Noir shirt. It was another Georgelin mistake as the HAC keeper handed the ball to the Jordanian striker who simply trotted the ball into the back of the net (57'). Andrés Gómez would then hand Rennes a fifth as the clock hit 90 minutes, Kalimeundo providing Gómez with a through pass and the Spaniard snuck in his finish from a tight angle at the near post (90'). 

Angers back to winning ways as Montpellier  all-but relegated (2-0)

Angers put an end to a run of four straight losses as Esteban Lepaul scored a brace to deepen Montpellier's desperate situation at the bottom of the table despite changing coach in the week.

Zoumana Camara made his debut in Ligue 1 McDonald's as a senior coach after Jean-Louis Gasset left the Montpellier hot-seat following last week's narrow defeat to Le Havre. But his reign started in far from ideal fashion, when Esteban Lepaul continued his recent purple patch of goalscoring form when he headed SCO in front after a well-timed run at the near post from the corner delivered from El Melaili (2').  After the game settled down, it was Angers who managed to double their lead, after Joris Chotard inadvertently played the ball to Lepaul after some initial good defending in the six-yard area, the former Epinal man made sure of his strike low past Benjamin Lecomte to record his brace (43').

Montpellier thought they halved the deficit when Ndiaye tapped the ball into the goal on the rebound after a fine save from Yahia Fofana in the second. But he is flagged offside at the beginning of the move. The hope for  Camara's men seemed to fade out, with MHSC all but relegated at the final whistle as they suffered their 22nd loss of the Ligue 1 McDonald's season. SCO shore up their spot in 14th in the table after a worrying run of four straight losses, before travelling to OGC Nice next weekend. 

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