Lens and Lyon fall from the start, Rennes and Monaco celebrate

Thirty-two goals were scored in nine games, during the first day of Ligue 1 football, which ended on Sunday August 13 with the evening defeat of Olympique Lyonnais in Strasbourg (2-1). Rennes are the first leaders of the season after their 5-1 success against promoted Metz.

• Lens, a drowning dolphin in Brittany

Brilliant runner-up to Paris Saint-Germain last season, Racing Club de Lens posted two opposing faces on Sunday afternoon in Brest for the first day of Ligue 1, losing 3-2 after a flamboyant start to the match.

Effective with the ball, lightning in the transition, Franck Haise’s men seemed at first to play in the continuity of last season, not disturbed by the departures of certain important players like captain and midfielder Seko Fofana (Al -Nassr) or their prolific striker Loïs Openda (Leipzig). And they thought they had done the hard part by leading 2-0 after 22 minutes. But the Brestois managed to reverse the situation, thanks in particular to a double from Romain Del Castillo on penalty, and to crack the Northerners, who finished the match at ten after the exclusion of Adrien Thomasson (82^e).

“When we do that, we don’t look much like Lens. In any case, at Lens, which we love”lamented the northern coach, Franck Haise at the end of the meeting.

This result is hardly reassuring for the Lensois who will experience a busy end of August with the reception of Rennes and a trip to PSG.

For Olympique Lyonnais, the situation is also worrying. With recruitment supervised by the DNCG − the financial policeman of French football −, and a transfer window that is not advancing, OL, which has passed under the American flag, is in full doubt that the defeat in Strasbourg (2-1) is only ‘aggravate.

However, it was the Rhone club which was more enterprising and dangerous than Strasbourg during a very calm first period, notably hitting the post by Alexandre Lacazette (41^e). But the Alsatians were the most realistic, managing to open the scoring thanks to a clever free kick from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (63^e). It was Bellegarde again who escaped to the Lyon right side to ideally serve Lebo Mothiba (76^e), who only had to push the ball to the bottom of Riou’s goal, powerless. Stunned, the Lyonnais reacted only timidly, and reduced the gap by Nicolas Tagliafico (88^e).

For Strasbourg, the new era begins in the best of ways, for a club now owned by the wealthy group of American investors, also BlueCo, also owner of Chelsea, and trained by Patrick Vieira.

Rennes, fourth last year and a serious contender for the podium this season, was quick to show its ambitions with a demonstration against Metz at home (5-1). Worn by their attackers Arnaud Kalimuendo (20^e), Amine Gouiri (51^e), Jeremy Doku (67^e) and Ibrahim Salah (87^e90 + 4), well supported by the technical ease of rookie Le Fée, very comfortable for his official debut, the Breton team will go to Lens next Sunday for a much more substantial test, and already very interesting.

“Enzo Le Fée speaks the same football as many players in this team”greeted after the match his coach Bruno Genesio, who despite the score and the performance of his team, estimated that “in tighter matches, that won’t be enough”.

• Monaco gets out of the Clermont trap

A double from Wissam Ben Yedder and two goals from Vanderson and Maghnes Akliouche enabled Monaco to win (4-2) on the Clermont pitch. The game had however started very badly for ASM with a big ball from the Swiss goalkeeper Philipp Köhn, supposed to bring serenity in the cage after the mistakes of his predecessor, Alexander Nübel.

The club had decided to keep Wissam Ben Yedder, recently indicted for rape and placed under judicial supervision, in the group. The prosecution had requested the detention of the player, but this was refused by the judge of freedoms and detention.

• Nantes beaten, Le Havre promoted to eye-catching

FC Nantes, narrowly saved from relegation, was surprised by Toulouse at La Beaujoire (2-1) and lost goalkeeper Alban Lafont, released on a stretcher in the second half. The promoted Le Havre had more success by picking up a point in Montpellier (2-2), despite the double of the Hérault rookie, the Nigerian striker Akor Adams.

On Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain, without Mbappé who made a surprise return to training on Sunday, conceded a draw (0-0) at home against Lorient, and Marseille beat Reims (2-1). Friday, at the start of the season, Lille had snatched a point from Nice (1-1).