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Rennes failed to put their UEFA Cup disappointment behind them as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to a solid Saint-Etienne team.
Having been beaten 5-1 by PAOK Salonika in midweek, this was the last thing Coach Laszlo Boloni would have wanted, yet they were simply not incisive enough to expect much more and go into the winter break 10th in Ligue 1.
The game began brightly with either side eager to get a good look at goal, and Mouhamadou Dabo's early strike over the bar for Les Verts was soon followed up by a high-and-hopeful attempt from Rennes ace Alexander Frei.
The more the match wore on, the more John Utaka began to dictate proceedings for the hosts, and his good work on six minutes saw the ball fall to Olivier Monterrubio, who perhaps predictably shot over. Utaka then rushed down the left and sent a teasing ball into the middle, only to find none of his teammates had made a run.
Without the injured David Hellebuyck in midfield, Saint-Etienne seemed happy to sit back, but they still had a chance to open the scoring when Didier Zokora forced Simon Pouplin into making a save. The stand-in for Andreas Isaksson then did well to stop Pascal Feindouno making the difference with a clever lob.
Rennes appeared to have fallen asleep at that point, but they woke up towards the end of the first-half and looked dangerous with a shot from Kim Kallstrom that fizzed narrowly wide and a Monterrubio effort that Jérémy Janot needed to be alert to keep out.
Surprisingly, though, it was Saint-Etienne who came out with more purpose after the half-time oranges, and Frédéric Piquionne so nearly found the back of the net with a 46th-minute strike that Pouplin did fantastically to keep out. It was the closest either side had come to scoring and breathed new life into the encounter, with Rennes having two penalty claims turned down soon after; first for a foul on Etienne Didot then for a handball.
Yohann Gourcuff then went close for the Brittany outfit, but it was Saint-Etienne who took the lead when Piquionne intelligently let a Loïc Perrin pass run on to Feindouno, who buried the ball past Pouplin. The reaction from Rennes was not long in coming, but they again lacked precision as Monterrubio missed the target.
They were given a late boost as Hérita Ilunga saw red for a bad challenge on Utaka, however it was Les Verts who still looked most likely to score when Batefimbi Gomis fired over from six metres out with a minute left on the clock.
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