PARIS: Stade Rennes’ Sehrou Guirassy struck a brilliant volley and Adrien Hunou netted with a superb lob to help their side top Ligue 1 with a 3-0 win at Saint Etienne, while Olympique de Marseille snatched a point in a 1-1 draw with Metz on Saturday.

Rennes went ahead in the 33rd minute when central defender Naif Aguerd met Benjamin Bourigeaud’s corner to power a header into the net and give the visitors the lead.

Arnaud Nordin thought he had put Saint Etienne level two minutes into the second half but the goal was ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee.

Guirassy doubled Rennes’ lead in the 54th minute, meeting Romain Del Castillo’s cross in mid-air and hooking it past goalkeeper Jessy Moulin before Hunou coolly lobbed the third over Moulin in the final minute of normal time.

In the evening game, Morgan Sanson saved the blushes of a misfiring Marseille outfit by blasting home a 95th-minute equaliser to salvage a scarcely deserved point versus Metz.

After the home side had wasted several chances with wayward shooting, Ibrahima Niane gave Metz the lead in the 71st minute, rising unmarked to plant a header past keeper Steve Mandanda.

With his side pouring forward looking for a goal, Mandanda had to pull off a superb save to keep out substitute Habibou Mouhamadou Diallo’s stoppage-time header, setting Sanson up to steal the headlines with his dramatic late strike.

Rennes lead the table on 13 points from five games, two ahead of Lille, with Saint Etienne third on 10. Marseille are in sixth spot with eight points and Metz are 16th on four.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2020