Ghana international Ernest Nuamah produced a commanding display for Olympique Lyonnais, scoring twice as Paulo Fonseca’s side swept aside Stade Rennes 4-0 in a dominant Ligue 1 victory at the Groupama Stadium on Saturday night.
Nuamah struck twice inside the opening 30 minutes to put Lyon firmly in control before Zachary Athekame and captain Corentin Tolisso added further goals after the break.
The emphatic victory extended Lyon’s unbeaten start to five Ligue 1 matches and moved them to second place in the standings with 11 points.
Rennes, who had also entered the fixture unbeaten, suffered their first league defeat of the campaign.
Nuamah Sets the Tone Early
Nuamah needed only seven minutes to open the scoring, finishing from inside the area after being picked out by Tolisso.
The 22-year-old continued to pose a constant threat to the Rennes defence, combining his pace and direct running with intelligent movement around Loïs Openda.
He came close to adding a second in the 20th minute when Openda found him in a similar position, but Rennes goalkeeper Brice Samba denied his left-footed effort.
There was no reprieve for the visitors ten minutes later.
Rennes defender Abdelhamid Aït-Boudlal lost possession in midfield before Tolisso found Bidstrum, who quickly released Nuamah. The Ghanaian exchanged passes with Pavel Šulc before driving into the box and finishing with his left foot to complete his brace.
Nuamah remained dangerous after his second goal, forcing Rennes to retreat and creating further problems down the left side of Lyon’s attack.
The match was briefly halted late in the first half after an offensive banner directed at Lyon’s rivals Saint-Étienne was displayed by supporters. Officials intervened and play resumed shortly afterwards.
Lyon nevertheless carried their two-goal advantage into the second half and quickly turned their control into an even more convincing result.
Athekame made it 3-0 three minutes after the restart, adding to his growing influence after also scoring in Lyon’s 3-1 victory over Auxerre earlier this month.
Nuamah continued to trouble Rennes before making way in the 73rd minute, receiving a standing ovation after another influential attacking display.
Tolisso Completes the Rout
Lyon’s captain Corentin Tolisso then put the result beyond doubt in the 76th minute.
Athekame, who had earlier found the net, turned provider this time, setting up Tolisso for the fourth goal of the night and completing a comprehensive victory for the hosts.
The result marks Lyon’s third Ligue 1 victory of the season and keeps Fonseca’s team firmly among the early pace-setters putting them second on the table with 11 points.
For Nuamah, the brace represents a significant step forward after he scored once and registered one assist in his first three league appearances this season.
His performance against Rennes underlined his growing importance to Lyon’s attack as the club balances domestic ambitions with its European campaign.
The Ghanaian forward was at the heart of Lyon’s attacking threat throughout the evening, and his two goals provided the foundation for one of the club’s most convincing performances of the young Ligue 1 season.
Lyon are now unbeaten after five matches and with Nuamah finding his scoring rhythm, both the player and the club head into the international break with considerable momentum.
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