Rennes secured their passage to the Coupe de France Round of 16 last month, overcoming a spirited Chantilly side with a 3-1 victory at Stadion Pierre Brisson on January 11. The result, confirmed by three second-half goals, eventually brought clarity to what initially felt like a potential upset.
Understand Chantilly, operating in a 3-4-2-1 system under coach Y. Yassine, entered the match as significant underdogs. They implemented a compact defensive setup, designed to absorb pressure and hit Rennes on the break. Habib Beye's Rennes, lining up in a 3-5-2, dominated possession from the outset, holding 69% of the ball. Despite this, Chantilly goalkeeper Corentin Michel delivered a strong individual performance, registering seven crucial saves to keep his side in the contest.
The opening exchanges saw Mahamadou Sissoko of Chantilly receive an early yellow card in the 6th minute for a foul, setting the tone for their physical approach. Against the run of play, Chantilly found a breakthrough just before halftime. Evens Joseph scored in the 42nd minute, assisted by Oumar N'Diaye, sending the home crowd into unexpected celebration and giving Chantilly a shock 1-0 lead at the break.
Habib Beye responded with an early substitution in the second half, bringing on Breel Embolo for Mohamed Kader Meite in the 55th minute, signalling an increased urgency. Chantilly made changes themselves, introducing Xavier Decroix for Adon Gomis in the 50th minute, followed by Sambou Yatabaré for Nianankoro Doumbia and Yacine Boucharoud for Ismail Karamoko in the 60th minute, aiming to bolster their ranks.
The critical turning point arrived in the 68th minute when Sambou Yatabaré received a red card for a foul, reducing Chantilly to ten men. Rennes immediately capitalized on the numerical advantage. Quentin Merlin scored the equalizer in the 70th minute. Barely a minute later, in the 71st minute, Mousa Tamari found the net, assisted by Anthony Rouault, to put Rennes ahead 2-1. This was a rapid shift in momentum, confirming the impact of the red card.
Rennes continued their pressure, making further substitutions by introducing Lilian Brassier for Alidu Seidu in the 74th minute and Elias Legendre for Esteban Lepaul in the 75th. It was substitute Elias Legendre who sealed the deal, scoring Rennes' third goal in the 78th minute, with Ludovic Blas providing the assist. Chantilly made their final changes shortly after, with Cerene Traoré replacing Evens Joseph and Serge N’Guessan replacing Souleymane Coulibaly in the 79th minute.
Rennes advanced, but the path was complicated by Chantilly's initial resistance. The incident of the red card opened the game definitively for Beye's side.
Match Statistics
Chantilly
- Shots on Goal: 2
- Shots off Goal: 1
- Total Shots: 4
- Blocked Shots: 1
- Shots insidebox: 3
- Shots outsidebox: 1
- Fouls: 9
- Corner Kicks: 3
- Offsides: 0
- Ball Possession: 31%
- Yellow Cards: 1
- Red Cards: 1
- Goalkeeper Saves: 7
- Total passes: 266
- Passes accurate: 172
- Passes %: 65%
Rennes
- Shots on Goal: 10
- Shots off Goal: 9
- Total Shots: 31
- Blocked Shots: 12
- Shots insidebox: 22
- Shots outsidebox: 9
- Fouls: 10
- Corner Kicks: 7
- Offsides: 3
- Ball Possession: 69%
- Yellow Cards: 0
- Red Cards: 0
- Goalkeeper Saves: 1
- Total passes: 583
- Passes accurate: 516
- Passes %: 89%
Rennes will be looking to build on this Coupe de France momentum in upcoming league fixtures. They face significant challenges in Ligue 1 and will need to demonstrate quicker clinical execution against more formidable opponents. The team’s ability to turn around the deficit, especially with contributions from substitutes, is a positive.
Related articles:
