NICE, France (Interstat) — Stade Rennais FC 1901 delivered a stunning and comprehensive defeat to Nice on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Allianz Riviera, opening the Ligue 1 season with a commanding 4-0 victory that defied all pre-match projections.

The visitors from Brittany seized control early and never relented, handing Nice a sobering home defeat to start the campaign. The result was a dramatic reversal of expectations, as statistical models heavily favored the hosts. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, and its ELO system gave Nice a 77.30 percent probability to win.

Rennes needed only 13 minutes to puncture that optimism. Substitute Esteban Lepaul, introduced early, opened the scoring. The momentum firmly shifted in the 20th minute when another substitute, Sebastian Szymański, doubled the advantage. The early two-goal cushion allowed Rennes to manage the game effectively, stifling Nice’s attempts to build any attacking rhythm.

Nice’s frustrations grew, culminating in a yellow card for their defender Dante in the 37th minute for a challenge stemming from the relentless Rennes pressure. The home side could not find a response before halftime, trailing by two goals.

The second half continued in the same pattern, with Rennes looking the more dangerous side. They put the result beyond any doubt in the 74th minute when Ludovic Blas found the net for the third goal. Nice’s discipline wavered further as Djaoui Cissé received a yellow card in the 81st minute and Tiago Gouveia was booked in the 86th.

Rennes capped the dominant performance in second-half stoppage time, with Nordan Mukiele adding a fourth goal in the 90+2 minute to complete the rout. The assist on one of the goals was credited to Nice’s Dante, marking a difficult day for the defender who also was cautioned.

The victory gives Stade Rennais FC 1901 a perfect start to the Ligue 1 season with one win and no losses, while Nice begins with one loss and no wins. The records across all competitions are identical, as this match served as the opener for both. The comprehensive nature of the win, fueled by impactful performances from substitutes Lepaul and Szymański, immediately establishes Rennes as a formidable force in the early season landscape. For Nice, the defeat at home raises immediate questions after a performance that fell far short of statistical forecasts and home support expectations.