Rennes return to Ligue 1 under the glare of a 4-0 defeat at Lyon, with no time for the memory to fade. Franck Haise’s side, fifth after five rounds, host Auxerre on Sunday at 17:15 as the start of a demanding run of five matches in 15 days.
Haise has not dismissed the damage done in Lyon before the international break. Rennes were well below their standard, he said, and a side with ambitions near the top cannot afford to fall short in any department.
Quick facts
- Rennes are fifth in Ligue 1 after five matchdays.
- Auxerre visit Rennes on Sunday, with kick-off set for 17:15.
- The fixture begins a sequence of five games across 15 days.
- Rennes lost 4-0 at Lyon on 19 September, having drawn 2-2 with PSG on 23 August.
- Across their past four matches, including a 1-0 friendly loss to Laval, Rennes have scored once from 82 shots and 26 chances.
- Haise’s Ligue 1 record over 17 matches on the Rennes bench stands at 2.05 points per game.
The coach believes that average provides a platform for Rennes to meet their objectives if it can be sustained. But he also made clear that the current points return does not remove the need for improvement across the squad.
Rennes have gone through different spells already: previously conceding too freely, and now struggling to turn pressure into goals. Haise pointed to the volume of attempts created in the recent lean run and expects the goals to return if his team continues to reach around 20 shots per game.
Individual progress is required in certain areas, including without Haise naming players or positions in detail. The broader demand is for a more complete side in transition, in control of matches and in the collective work required to remain competitive over a full season.
The Lyon result remains the warning. Haise said Rennes do not possess the margin for error to play below full capacity against leading opponents, physically, tactically, technically or mentally.
“We cannot erase Lyon,” he said. “We conceded four and we were not at our level. When that happens against a Lyon side playing at its best, you see the gap.”
He added that neither he nor the players have forgotten the loss, even if he also stressed the points accumulated over the previous seven months. The immediate task is to show their “real face” against an Auxerre side he views as increasingly balanced in a new system.
Lepaul back from France duty
Haise also welcomed Estéban Lepaul back from his first involvement with France, describing the forward as calm, happy and clear-eyed about the work still needed to establish himself at international level.
Lepaul did not score for France, but Haise felt his displays contained encouraging signs. The striker created opportunities, attacked the penalty area and remained useful in difficult attacking situations against deep international-level defences.
Haise particularly highlighted France’s 4-1 win over Belgium. With France trailing 1-0 and changes being made, Lepaul remained on the pitch — a sign, in the Rennes coach’s view, of the value of his movement.
Even when a striker is unlikely to see the ball constantly against a packed defence, Lepaul’s ability to occupy opponents, make decoy runs and open spaces for others helped the team, Haise said. Rennes will now hope that international experience can feed into a sharper response against Auxerre.
