Rennes have invested too much money to be this toothless up front

It was a bumper weekend in Ligue 1 – there was Champions League qualification in the balance in Lens, a bitter rivalry renewed between resurgent Lyon and Marseille, and plenty of crucial matches in the relegation dogfight. This weekend also offered a reminder of what might have been for one club, Stade Rennais. As Marseille and Lens were all but sealing their places in the top three (a massive match between them looms on May 6 as they continue to jockey for second place and Champions League qualification), Bruno Génésio’s side were losing 1-0 to 10-man Montpellier.

It was the fifth time in seven league matches they had failed to score. Montpellier have been resurgent under the returning Michel der Zakarian but they hardly looked the most challenging opponent before the match. Moreover, with Lille drawing with Auxerre and Monaco losing to Lens, the match presented Rennes with the perfect opportunity to reinsert themselves into the European conversation. A win at La Mosson would have taken them above Lille in the table.

The defeat was especially disappointing given their impressive 3-0 win last weekend against Reims, the darlings of the league since the appointment of Will Still. Jérémy Doku scored a brace in that game, the young Belgian exerting his influence on the team again after he had been plagued by injury in the first half of the season. They have also beaten PSG – twice – in the last three months, both without Martin Terrier. The winger – who scored 21 goals last season and nine in this campaign before he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his knee in January – has been a major loss, but Génésio has plenty of replacements at his disposal.

Arnaud Kalimuendo and Amine Gouiri, who joined last summer for roughly €20m each, are two of the best young attackers in France. Karl Toko Ekambi, who joined on loan from Lyon in January as a putative replacement for Terrier, is a wily presence who scored more than 20 goals for club and country last season. Even Benjamin Bourigeaud contributed 11 goals last season, but his scoring touch seems to have disappeared.

Rennes had chances against Montpellier on Sunday, but they lacked a focal point without Terrier. Players seemed to snatch at the ball and failed to rise to the occasion. Hamari Traoré, the veteran right-back and one of few players who turned in a composed performance, offered a simple, brutal and accurate verdict of their performance. “What we have shown is not worthy of a team that is playing for Europe,” said Traoré.

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What is the root of the problem? Terrier gave Rennes a physical focal point – like M’Baye Niang and Gaëtan Laborde did in previous seasons. Terrier’s strength belies his slender frame and he is superb in the air. He is sorely missed – not just for his goals but because of the tactical options he gives the team. Kalimuendo is only 5ft 7in and relies on his pace – his success at Lens came as he worked off the more physical Florian Sotoca. He is best used as a second striker or wide player. Gouiri has also been deployed as a striker but, as his time at Nice showed, he is best used on the left or as a No 10. That being said, given their price tags, they should be more prolific.

Ultimately, that Rennes continue to be inconsistent and profligate must land at the feet of Génésio, given the club’s outlay in recent seasons. By French standards, the purchases of Kalimuendo, Gouiri and defender Arthur Theate are extravagant, even if some clubs above them have spent more. Despite a massive outlay, the team has regressed under Génésio as he has struggled to settle on a consistent tactical approach since Terrier’s injury. In addition, players bought by director Florian Maurice have also been a mixed bag. Kamaldeen Sulemana did not pull up any trees before leaving for Southampton; Theate has been unimpressive; and young defenders Loïc Badé and Christopher Wooh have failed to establish themselves in the first team.

Given their financial resources and strong academy, Rennes should be doing better. Eduardo Camavinga, Ousmane Dembélé and Mathys Tel were all developed by the club, but there are also a raft of younger players coming through who Génésio has been loath to use, headlined by striker Matthis Abline, now on loan at Auxerre, and Désire Doué. The reluctance to use these players seems bizarre given the influence academy graduates have had on the team of late.

It may not be too late for redemption. Lille still have to face Monaco and Marseille, as well as relegation-threatened Nantes, so there are many opportunities for Paulo Fonseca’s side to drop points. Rennes could yet pip them to fifth place. But the simple truth is that a lack of goals has undone what looked to be a promising season. One has to wonder upon whom the axe will fall.

Talking points

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It’s (almost) job done for Lens after a cracking 3-0 win over Monaco on Saturday. A brace from Loïs Openda, who now has 17 goals this season, led the way for Lens, who rebounded well after losing to PSG. A visit from Marseille in a fortnight looms large, but Franck Haise’s side have all but guaranteed themselves a place in Europe next season — and their next task, reaching the Champions League, looks that much more attainable now.

Another week, another late goal for Nantes. They are hardly the most prolific team in Ligue 1, having scored just 35 goals in 32 matches this season, but a third of them have come in the last 15 minutes of matches. Evann Guessand’s controversial 96th-minute equaliser against Troyes on Sunday afternoon may be their most vital yet. The point earned from the 2-2 draw keeps Nantes out of the bottom three, albeit only on goal difference. It also all but relegated Troyes, who are now 10 points from safety with six matches left to play. The bottom three look set to go down, but the battle to avoid finishing in the fourth relegation place remains incredibly tight between Nantes, Brest, Auxerre and Strasbourg. The four sides are separated by a single point, with Brest in 17th. With the margins so tight, Nantes’ late goal on Sunday could make the difference.

Clermont were without key defenders Neto Borges and Alidu Seidu against Nice at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday, but they put in an impressive performance and won 2-1. Now on four straight wins – their best run in the top flight – and in ninth place, Pascal Gastien’s side have exceeded expectations more than any other team in the division. A year after losing top scorer Mohamed Bayo and midfield lynchpin Salis Abdul Samed, the experienced manager has his team as resolute and well organised as ever, a massive testament to his principled approach.