Rennes edge past Marseille to claim early Ligue 1 summit

Rennes climbed to the top of Ligue 1 with a 1-0 victory over Marseille at Roazhon Park, securing a third consecutive win at the start of the season.

Adrien Thomasson scored the only goal of the match, finishing from close range seven minutes after half-time to register his first goal for Rennes.

Marseille had made the brighter beginning as they looked to recover from back-to-back defeats. Brice Samba was forced into action after 11 minutes, making a good save to deny Igor Paixao and keep the visitors from taking the lead.

The opening half was disjointed, with neither side able to retain possession for long spells. Both teams resorted to efforts from distance in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Marseille captain Timothy Weah came closest with one of those attempts, but his ambitious strike was expertly tipped over the crossbar by Samba.

Although the visitors were unable to create a clear-cut opportunity during the first 45 minutes, they posed the greater attacking threat. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg also missed an opportunity to test Samba after shooting from inside the penalty area.

Rennes returned from the interval with greater intensity and a faster tempo. Their improved approach was rewarded in the 52nd minute when Thomasson found the net from close range.

Marseille came close to an immediate response six minutes later. Højbjerg struck the target from a promising position, but Samba produced another excellent save to preserve Rennes’ lead.

Thomasson nearly added a second in the 72nd minute, sending a quick effort from inside the box against the crossbar.

The visitors’ attacking threat faded after the hour mark, and they struggled to make Samba work during much of the second half. Marseille applied pressure late on, as expected, but could not create a clear opportunity to force an equaliser.

The result leaves Rennes one point clear of second-placed Monaco at the top of Ligue 1.

Marseille, meanwhile, have dropped to 11th after collecting only three points from their opening four matches. Both sides will now turn their attention to the opening round of the UEFA Europa League league phase next week.

Thomasson was named Flashscore’s Man of the Match for Rennes.