|
Lens maintained their impressive unbeaten home record against Rennes on Sunday, but did not do enough to gain three points against Laszlo Boloni’s team.
Les Sang et Or have not lost at the Stade Félix-Bollaert since January, but their supporters are yet to be convinced that Francis Gillot is the right man for the job - and the growing number of dissenters made their presence felt again against Rennes.
Eric Carrière, making a rare start under Gillot, created the first opening with a clever reverse pass for Jérôme Leroy on nine minutes, but Leroy’s shot flew wide of the far post.
Lens struggled to find any kind of rhythm, though, allowing Rennes, who have recovered from their poor start to the season, to get a foothold in the game.
The visitors created their first opening on 19 minutes, Youssouf Hadji picking out Alexander Frei whose low shot was saved by Charles Itandje.
Brazilian playmaker Jussiê was Lens liveliest player in the first half, and his corner set up a good chance for Adama Coulibaly, only for the defender to head fractionally over the top. Seydou Keita then had a powerful shot deflected by Adailton on 33 minutes, but Andreas Isaksson, who had been wrong-footed, reacted quickly enough to palm the ball wide of the post.
Lens started to run out of ideas in the second half, as the Rennes midfield closed down tenaciously and refused to allow the home side near their penalty area.
As Lens became more frantic, Rennes started to pose an attacking threat of their own, and Adailton should have done better than head Olivier Monterrubio’s corner wide of Itandje’s post on 62 minutes.
Full-backs Benoït Assou-Ekotto and Yohan Demont pushed further forward as the game progress and Demont, in particular, looked as though he could be the man to unhinge the Rennes defence.
Isaksson could only punch Demont’s free kick into the path of Leroy on 72 minutes, but the Swedish custodian made up for his error by saving the midfielder’s powerful volley.
Gillot threw on striker Aruna Dindane for the closing stages but Lens rarely looked capable of scoring, even after Hadji was sent off for a second bookable offence seven minutes from time.
|
