Rennes throw away two-goal lead

Rennes threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with struggling Valenciennes in Ligue 1 on Saturday night.

Rennes threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with struggling Valenciennes in Ligue 1 on Saturday night. Having not won since the opening day of the season, Valenciennes' poor season looked set to continue when a Foued Kadir brace sent the hosts into a two-goal lead. However, quickfire second-half goals from Anthony Le Tallec and Marco da Silva rescued a point for the fortuitous visitors which moved them off the bottom on goal difference. The visitors' wretched start to the campaign showed little sign of improving when Rennes took the lead inside the opening 10 minutes. Jonathan Pitroipa was the provider and Kadir beat the offside trap to get on the end of his pass before powering the ball beyond Nicolas Penneteau via the crossbar. Daniel Sanchez's men attempted to offer an instant reply when Arthur Masuaku picked out Le Tallec, but his header was brilliantly kept out by Benoit Costil. In an entertaining opening, Rennes went close again when the talented Romain Alessandrini found a shooting chance on the edge of the area but he fired wide from a promising position. The hosts had the ball in the net again just before the half-hour mark when Pitroipa broke free before setting up Alessandrini but the goal was rightly ruled out for offside. Alessandrini was involved again in first-half stoppage time when Romain Danze picked him out around the penalty spot, but the forward blazed over, wasting a great opportunity for a second Rennes goal. A second came straight after the restart, though, when Kadir grabbed another. Pitroipa, who was enjoying a lot of freedom on the right, took his time before picking out the unmarked Algerian and he made no mistake from 10 yards to double the hosts' lead. Rennes continued to dominate and Pitroipa tested Penneteau with a stinging effort which the keeper gathered at the second attempt before Vincent Pajot headed straight at Penneteau from point-blank range. And those stops proved crucial as the visitors pulled a goal back. Costil failed to hold Maor Melikson's free-kick from the right angle of the area and Le Tallec pounced to reduce the deficit. Rennes almost hit straight back but Alessandrini wasted a glorious opportunity before Valenciennes went on the counter and drew level. Masuaku and Melikson combined well before picking out Da Silva, who delightfully lobbed the slightly advanced Costil to score an unlikely equaliser from 20 yards. Pajot thought he had snatched the points late on for the hosts, only to see his effort ruled out for offside, as Rennes had to settle for a point.