French Ligue 1: Rennes move up to fourth

Rennes went fourth in Ligue 1 with a 2-0 win at home to Monaco on Saturday evening.

A 10th-minute own goal from Aymen Abdennour put the hosts in front and Ola Toivonen volleyed a second eight minutes later as they made it three wins in a row.

Rennes went into the game buoyed by back-to-back 1-0 wins and it did not take them long to take the lead.

Paul-Georges Ntep raced down the left and beat Andrea Raggo before firing the ball across goal. In attempting to clear it, Abdennour could only divert the cross into his own net.

Ntep's pace was key to Rennes' second too. He made ground down the left, crossing for Toivonen to fire home from close range.

Monaco were reeling but they regrouped and almost levelled in the 26th minute, a fine team move ending in Lucas Ocampos seeing his header blocked by Benoit Costil.

But the visitors could not live with Ntep. Again he blazed down the left before crossing towards Abdoulaye Doucoure, who was unable to capitalise.

Monaco threatened an equaliser on the hour mark when Anthony Martial's cross was met by Elderson Echiejile, whose right-footed shot was punched clear by Costil.

At the other end Ntep's cross picked out Vincent Pajot, but Danijel Subasic at full stretch kept out his header.

Costil then saved well from Yannick Carrasco and even more impressively from Nabil Dirar as Monaco finished strongly, but they had left themselves too much to do as Rennes stood firm.