Wahi's hat-trick sinks Rennes as Nice's chances far outstrip usual

Nice beat Rennes 5-2 with less of the ball than usual but far more chances, and Sepe Elye Wahi scored three times, two of them from the penalty spot.

Sepe Elye Wahi scored three times at the Allianz Riviera, two of them from the penalty spot, as Nice beat Rennes 5-2. The first penalty arrived after twelve minutes and the second before the interval, which left the home side three goals clear at half-time. Rennes were never able to get back level after that, even though they had plenty of the play.

The more unusual figure is how Nice created their chances. They had 46% of the ball, below the 54.1% they average at home this season, yet they took 17 shots against a usual 11. Expected goals, a measure that values each shot by how often shots from that spot turn into goals, came to 3.43 for Nice, against a usual 1.02. In other words, the chances were of much better quality than the home side normally produces.

Rennes had more of the ball, 54%, which is close to the 55.6% they average away from home. They also took 18 shots, not far from their usual 16.9, and their expected goals of 2.64 was above their own away average of 2.18. Their finishing let them down, though: they scored two, below their usual 2.3, and conceded five, far more than the 1.8 they normally let in on the road.

Szymański gave Rennes their early lead at 15 minutes, set up by Mahamadou Nagida, and he was the visitors' most dangerous player throughout. He created six chances for team-mates, more than anyone else on the pitch, and that effort earned him a rating of 8.2. Boulaye Dia pulled one back from the spot at 58 minutes, but the margin was never narrow enough for Rennes to feel they could turn the game.

For Nice, the goalkeeper Y. Diouf made seven saves, and Mohamed Amoura scored at 52 minutes, assisted by Sofiane Diop, the substitute who had come on at 68. Amoura also won nine of his individual battles for the ball, the most of any player listed for either side. Jonathan Clauss had added a goal just before half-time, set up by Wahi, which gave Nice the cushion they needed.

Before kick-off Nice were tenth in the table with 11 points from eight matches, while Rennes were second with 16 from eight. Nice now have 14 points from nine, and Rennes remain on 16 after their first defeat of the run. Wahi's three goals take him to a figure that will be hard to ignore in the weeks to come.

Player of the matchE. Wahi3 goals · 1 assist9.0

S. Szymański1 goal8.2

J. Clauss1 goal8.0

M. Amoura1 goal7.6