PARIS (AP) — Striker Arnaud Kalimuendo scored a hat trick and Rennes got back to winning ways in Ligue 1 by thrashing 10-man Saint-Etienne 5-0 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, leader Paris Saint-Germian dropped points at home when it drew with Nantes 1-1.
Rennes coach Jorge Sampaoli's first win with his new team came in his second match in charge after he took over this month.
Rennes had failed to score in more than a month and lost its three previous matches. The result lifted the host one point above Saint-Etienne.
Visiting Saint-Etienne made things difficult for itself when Mathieu Cafaro, who hit the post earlier, was sent off for a handball in the box in the 37th minute.
Kalimuendo put Rennes in the driving seat from the penalty spot two minutes later, and they returned to the locker room with a two-goal lead after Ludovic Blas, who was excellent throughout, found the net in added time.
Kalimuendo added another goal with a nice finish and converted a second penalty to seal his first Ligue 1 hat trick. Amine Gouiri also scored.
“We’re not going to say that everything clicked; we’re not going to get carried away. But it’s true that it feels good to win, to score a lot of goals, and to keep a clean sheet," Gouiri said. “However, we were helped by that red card. We need to enjoy this but not get ahead of ourselves. We have to build on the positives to keep going. It’s good for confidence."
The fiery Sampaoli returned to French soccer following a previous stint with Marseille. Sampaoli was in charge of Argentina at the 2018 World Cup. He has also coached clubs in Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Spain and Brazil. Sampaoli abruptly left Marseille in July 2022 after leading the team back to the Champions League, over a disagreement related to the club’s transfers of players.
PSG held at home
PSG could not hold onto an early lead against Nantes at Parc des Princes.
Achraf Hakimi put PSG in front early but the hosts were wasteful against a very defensive Nantes that leveled against the run of the play before the interval. Matthis Abline beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a left-footed shot after dribbling past Willian Pacho.
Donnarumma, who was dropped midweek during a 1-0 Champions League loss at Bayern Munich, made a reflex save near the hour mark to salvage the draw.
Uninspired, Luis Enrique’s team remained unbeaten in the league, extending its lead over second-placed Monaco to seven points. The Principality side travels to third-placed Marseille on Sunday.
Nantes remained 16th, the relegation playoff position.
Brest bounces back
The Brittany side recovered from a 3-0 loss at Barcelona in the Champions League midweek by beating Strasbourg 3-1. The result snapped a three-match losing run in Ligue 1, and moved Brest to 10th place.
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The Associated Press
