Rennes stop rot

[Freddy Adu]

Rennes stop rot

Toulouse and Rennes battle it out for a draw as Guy Lacombe takes the reins at Rennes for the first time.

Ligue 1, Matchday 19 Sunday, December 23, 2007 Stadium Toulouse Toulouse 0 Rennes 0 Match Stats Guy Lacombe celebrated his first game in charge of Rennes with the Brittany team's first point in eight league matches. The former PSG manager saw his new charges contain a sprightly looking Toulouse side who themselves will be happy with a fourth consecutive league game without defeat. The first chance of the game fell to the home side with Fode Mansaré denied an early 13th minute goal by the onrushing Simon Pouplin. Rennes were finding it hard to get going but managed to find a way through the stern home defence when, on 16 minutes, Olivier Sorlin forced Nicolas Douchez into a terrific save. The league's hottest property, Swedish striker Johan Elmander, then came close to making it eight goals in five games when he headed narrowly wide of Pouplin's post seven minutes before half-time. They was still time before the break for what Toulouse thought was an acceptable goal when Moussa Sissoko bundled a header over the line. The referee though had other ideas as he disallowed the effort for a foul by the TFC midfielder on Ligue 1 debutant Uwa Echiejilé. Three minutes into the second-half and Elmander saw his shot bounce off the outstretched left foot of Pouplin. The home side were on top and yet Rennes looked equally dangerous on the break and a stupendous stop from Douchez was needed to turn away a Jimmy Briand effort. Toulouse nearly nicked it at the death when Elmander found himself one-on-one with Pouplin after a sloppy Sorlin back-pass. The French guardian, though, was too quick for the Scandinavian and gathered well at the striker's feet. And so a point apiece in an interesting tactical battle in the south-west which sees the pair stay on 25 points each, eight points off Bordeaux in third.