VIDEO | Ligue 1 Highlights: Olympique Lyon vs Stade Rennes
In a forgettable season with the looming threat of relegation from the top division, the legendary Olympique de Lyon was hoping to climb out of the bottom against a Stade Rennes side comfortably parked in tenth place but eyeing European spots without glancing downward.
A nervy match, coupled with pressure from the home crowd, quickly handed the advantage to Rennes with two defensive errors, leaving Lyon trailing 3-0 at halftime with no response. They even faced jeers from the fans who had turned up at the stadium, expecting a positive and crucial result to climb up the standings.
In the second half, Olympique de Lyon, driven by their supporters, launched an effective offensive, scoring two goals that brought them within striking distance with ten minutes left. Hope lingered, but Rennes showcased a solid defensive performance, securing the victory despite defending in their own area and pushing Lyon to the brink.
With this result, Olympique de Lyon remains in sixteenth place on the table, and if Clermont Foot wins their match, they would drop to fifteenth. Meanwhile, Stade Rennes climbed to ninth place, narrowing the gap for European spots to four points, awaiting how the rest of Matchday 19 unfolds.