Rennes began their Ligue 1 campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Lyon on Sunday. The match saw Rennes take control early with two quick goals in the first half. Benjamin Bourigeaud opened the scoring with a deflected free-kick in the 19th minute, followed just two minutes later by Amine Gouiri, who capitalized on a defensive error by Lyon to score from a tight angle. Despite continued pressure from Rennes, they had to rely on their veteran goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to keep Lyon at bay, particularly when he saved a penalty from Georges Mikautadze in the 72nd minute. Danish striker Henrik Meister sealed the win with a goal in stoppage time, ensuring a positive start for Rennes.

Lyon, on the other hand, faced another disappointing opening day defeat, similar to last season, despite their strong recovery later in the previous campaign. Rennes coach Julien Stephan emphasized the importance of not getting carried away with the victory, noting that there is still a long season ahead.

In other Ligue 1 action, Auxerre marked their return to the top flight with a dramatic last-minute win against Nice, while Lens secured a 1-0 victory over newly-promoted Angers. Nantes and Toulouse played to a goalless draw, and Montpellier and Strasbourg shared the points in a 1-1 draw.