Rennes started their Ligue 1 campaign with a strong performance, defeating Lyon 3-0 at home on Sunday.
Benjamin Bourigeaud and Amine Gouiri scored two goals within two minutes in the first half to set Rennes on their path to victory. Henrik Meister added the final goal in stoppage time.
The opening goal came when Ludovic Blas earned a free-kick in a central position just outside the box. Bourigeaud's strike took a deflection off the wall and eluded the Lyon goalkeeper after 19 minutes.
Shortly after, Gouiri capitalized on a mistake from Lyon's Moussa Niakhate, who underhit a backpass. Gouiri seized the opportunity, rounded Lucas Perri, and scored from a tight angle.
Despite Rennes continuing to press for more goals in the second half, they could not increase their lead. Steve Mandanda made a crucial save, denying Georges Mikautadze a penalty in the 72nd minute.
Meister scored his first league goal in injury time with a right-footed shot from inside the box, sealing the win for Rennes.
Lyon's defeat marks another poor start to the season, reminiscent of their difficult beginning last year. However, they eventually recovered under Pierre Sage's management to become a top-performing team in 2024.
In other matches, newly-promoted Auxerre returned to the top flight with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Nice. Lasso Coulibaly scored the decisive goal in stoppage time after Rayan Raveloson equalized Mohamed-Ali Cho's 21st-minute opener.
Lens defeated newly-promoted Angers 1-0, thanks to a 28th-minute goal by Wesley Said. Said received the ball near the penalty spot, feinted to shoot, and then scored with a well-placed shot.
Nantes and Toulouse played to a 0-0 draw, while Montpellier and Strasbourg drew 1-1, with both goals coming in the second half.
