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Le Mans secured their first win back in the top flight in style on Saturday, as Rennes’ miserable start to the season continued.
Having lost their first two matches of the season, Rennes were desperate to rediscover their form of last term and started in fine fashion at Le Mans. But any hopes that Laszlo Boloni’s side had of dominating the game disappeared in the seventh minute when Olivier Monterrubio was shown a straight red card.
The playmaker had illegally prevented the home side from taking the lead when he used his hand to stop the ball crossing the line. But Le Mans duly went ahead from the resulting spot kick. Brazilian striker Vinicius De Melo was the man who scored the penalty, continuing his impressive start in France.
Le Mans were dealt a blow when their star player James Fanchone was forced off the pitch with an injury on 26 minutes, but the home fans’ disappointment was soon forgotten when they had a second goal to celebrate.
Another of Le Mans’ summer recruits, Daisuke Matsui of Japan, made the goal when his miscued shot fell into the path of De Melo. He diverted the ball into the empty net for his second of the night and his third in three games for Le Mans.
With the home fans in fine voice, Le Mans continued where they left off in the second half, and netted a third ten minutes in as Chiguy Lucau showed good composure to turn home a cross. The icing was applied to the cake 12 minutes before the end when Ismael Bangoura turned a shot past Andreas Isaksson and registered his first goal for his new club.
Rennes, who finished fourth last season, have now lost their first three matches by a combined score of 8-0.
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