For the third time in four games, Lens faced another side lining up in a 3-5-2 formation.
Julien Stéphan switched from Rennes’ usual 4-2-3-1 shape, making four changes from the team that drew with Lorient. Out went Faitout Maouassa, Steven Nzonzi, Jérémy Doku and Clément Grenier, replaced by Gerzino Nyamsi, Adrien Truffert, Jonas Martin and Serhou Guirassy.
Resting Gaël Kakuta to avoid injury, Franck Haise continued with Lens’ usual 3-4-1-2 formation, moving Seko Fofana forward behind Arnaud Kalimuendo and Florian Sotoca, with Simon Banza dropping to the bench and Yannick Cahuzac coming into midfield. He also made three changes to his backline after drawing with Marseille, bringing back Jonathan Gradit, Loïc Badé and Issiaga Sylla into the starting eleven, pushing Clément Michelin forward to wing-back and dropping Steven Fortes, Massadio Haïdara and Jonathan Clauss to the bench.
Continuing with the 3-4-1-2, rather than switching to a 3-5-2 that looked a more natural fit for the selected midfielders, was a good choice for Lens. It enabled them to line up perfectly in the midfield – Fofana on Martin, Cahuzac on Benjamin Bourigeaud and Cheick Doucouré on Eduardo Camavinga – while the forwards pressed the back three well, starting in the gaps between them then having the near side’s striker press the outside centre-back as the other one came across to pick up Damien Da Silva. This made it difficult for Rennes to play out and Lens won it back in their half several times.
Rennes, on the other hand, were more passive. They would sometimes press, but preferred to sit off a little and remain compact. They would shift across as a unit as Lens played out, so the home side found they could drag Rennes across to one side then switch play to the other without much trouble. When the strikers had been dragged across to the left, leaving them too far away from the right side, Camavinga would frequently push up in support of them to stop Facundo Medina advancing.
While Lens found themselves able to play out fairly easily, advancing much further was another matter, as they struggled to pass through Rennes’ compact defence.
Likewise, Rennes were constantly looking to break forward quickly in the early stages. This saw many of their moves come to an abrupt end as someone misplaced a pass, handing possession back to Lens.
They had greater success once they became more considered, looking to outnumber Lens in midfield by having Martin Terrier or Guirassy drop off. With each Lens midfielder occupied by a Rennes one, Lens either had to let them go free, or pull one of the defenders out of the backline, leaving a gap.
Neither side were willing to make the changes necessary to open up the game though. They both made only two like-for-like substitutions apiece, Haise swapping Kalimuendo and Michelin for Banza and Clauss, and Stéphan replacing Terrier and Truffert with Doku and Maouassa.
As a result, it petered out to a goalless draw.
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