Rennes go top of Ligue 1 with win over Marseille

Rennes moved to the top of Ligue 1 with a 1-0 win over Marseille at Roazhon Park, inflicting a third straight defeat on Bruno Genesio's side as the visitors' slide down the table continued.

Adrien Thomasson settled it in the 52nd minute. Musa Al-Tamari, sent on at half-time for a subdued Issa Soumaré, rose at the back post to head down a long ball from Ludovic Blas, and Thomasson finished first-time from close range past Jeffrey de Lange.

It was Genesio's first return to Roazhon Park with Marseille since the dressing-room brawl between Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe, and his first visit to the ground since he himself managed Rennes, between 2021 and 2023. Rabiot has since moved on to AC Milan, where he has scored seven times since joining last September.

For long spells Marseille had looked the better side. Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg pulled the strings in midfield in the first half, and Igor Paixão forced a save out of Brice Samba before Timothy Weah's long-range effort was parried away. Angel Gomes also passed up a good chance for the visitors, and Höjbjerg himself found only the side-netting.

Rennes never got going in front of goal until Franck Haise turned to his bench. Al-Tamari changed the game within minutes of coming on, and in the 72nd minute he combined with Thomasson again, this time picking him out for a shot that came back off the crossbar.

Thomasson, a central midfielder who joined Rennes in August, has now scored his first goal for the club. Rennes sit top with 10 points from four matches, pending the rest of matchday four, while Marseille drop to 11th on three points after their third defeat in a row.

Three straight losses will sharpen the scrutiny on Genesio early in the season,