By Thomas Le Bourdelles
Published 16 minutes ago, Updated now
TFC will most likely play in L1 next season. FRED TANNEAU / AFP
Beaten by TFC (1-2) this Saturday, at Roazhon Park, the Rennais are doing poorly in the race for Europe. The people of Toulouse are getting closer to maintaining their position.
Never two without three. Reinvigorated after the appointment of Julien Stéphan, the Rennais suffered a third defeat in a row in the league this Saturday, against Toulouse (1-2), during the 29th day of Ligue 1. The fourth consecutive setback for the Bretons, counting the one against PSG, in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France. The Breton club is ninth in the standings, a small point from seventh place which could be European depending on the result of the Coupe de France final, and four lengths from sixth position. The TFC, for its part, is taking a big step towards maintaining it. In fact, the Haut-Garonnais are in 11th place.
After the first 15 minutes without rhythm, the individual feat of Désiré Doué on his left side woke up Roazhon Park and its 28,055 spectators (1-0, 20th). In the process, Casseres responded with a magnificent strike from the right (1-1, 22nd). Static, the Rennes defense was surprised by a seemingly innocuous throw-in. And as if one mistake wasn’t enough, Guéla Doué missed his clearance a few minutes later. A miss which benefited the central defender, Diara, who moved to the forefront. The Toulouse player, who took advantage of a favorable counterattack, deceived Mandanda to give the advantage to an uninhibited TFC team (1-2, 32nd). Trailing, Julien Stéphan and his men lost Enzo Le Fée to injury following contact with Spierings.
Returning from the locker room, the Rennais were hardly more convincing. Absent in the duels, Steve Mandanda and his teammates never showed their desire to return to the scoreboard. Worse still, their frustration took over the game. The tension rose at the end of the match when the Turkish striker Yildirim jumped, elbow forward, in an aerial duel with Restes, the Toulouse goalkeeper. After this new defeat (2-1), Rennes no longer advances. The return to the locker room was accompanied by a general bronca from Roazhon Park.
