Lille moved up to second in Ligue 1 after securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Stade Rennais, handing the hosts their first home defeat of the season and ending their five-match unbeaten run.
The visitors took the lead midway through an eventful first half at Roazhon Park, when Soriba Diaounel produced a fine finish after a ricochet following an attempted one-two with Ethan Mbappe.
The ball returned to Diaounel, who curled his first league goal of the season into the bottom corner beyond the reach of Brice Samba. It was the first real moment of quality in a match where both sides had struggled to create a shot on target during the opening 25 minutes.
Rennes responded after the half-hour mark through Boulaye Dia. Aboubakar Nagi showed determination to keep the ball in play after his mishit effort appeared destined to run out for a throw-in, then delivered a dangerous cross.
Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal flicked the ball into the six-yard box, allowing Dia to finish and restore parity. The goal shifted the momentum towards Rennes, who controlled the remainder of the first half but were unable to find a second before the interval.
The pace dropped after the restart as the sides largely cancelled one another out. Samba was called into action soon after half-time, making a sharp reflex save at his near post to divert Calvin Verdonk’s snapshot wide.
Lille regained the lead with just over 20 minutes remaining. Valentin Rongier attempted to dribble out of trouble inside his own penalty area and was punished for losing possession, with Nathan Ngoy powering his finish into the bottom corner.
Rennes committed players forward during the final 10 minutes in search of an equaliser, but Lille held on to claim an important victory in Brittany.
The result extends Lille’s unbeaten Ligue 1 run to five matches, with three wins and two draws. They are now two points behind leaders PSG.
Rennes remain fifth, five points behind Lille, but have now lost four of their past six league matches and could drop further down the table depending on results elsewhere.
Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal of Stade Rennais was named Flashscore’s Man of the Match.