Nice Beat Rennes 5-2 as Elye Wahi Scores Hat-Trick Including Two Penalties in Ligue 1
Nice beat Rennes 5-2 at the Allianz Riviera on Friday night, October 30, in Ligue 1. Elye Wahi scored a hat-trick in a seven-goal game that included two penalties for the hosts and one for Rennes. It was a Matchday 9 fixture.
Nice took the lead in the 12th minute. Wahi was fouled in the box, and he took the spot-kick himself and scored. Rennes did not stay behind for long. In the 15th minute, Sebastian Szymanski levelled the score after a pass from Mahamadou Nagida. It was a good response from the visitors, but it did not last.
Nice kept the pressure on and won a second penalty. This time Jonathan Clauss was brought down by a Rennes player. Wahi stepped up again and beat goalkeeper Lemaitre for his second goal in the 34th minute. He had now scored two penalties from two attempts. Just before the break, Nice added a third. Wahi turned provider with a heel flick, and Jonathan Clauss drilled a low shot into the net in first-half stoppage time. It was 3-1 at the interval.
The hosts kept going after the restart. In the 52nd minute, Mohamed Amoura scored the fourth after a neat move that included an assist from Sofiane Diop. Rennes pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 58th minute through Boulaye Dia. Rennes also had a goal ruled out for offside around the 70th minute.
The hat-trick completed in the 73rd minute. Rennes lost the ball in midfield, and Gauthier Hein, who was on as a substitute, played a pass to Wahi. He finished first time with his right foot to make it 5-2. It was his sixth Ligue 1 goal of the season, and he is now Nice's top scorer in the league this term. Wahi is on loan at Nice from Eintracht Frankfurt. His performance, which included a goal, two penalties and an assist, earned him a Sofascore rating of 9.6.
The result is a big win for Nice and a setback for Rennes, who started the night in second place in the table. Wahi was the standout, with three goals from six shots, four of them on target, plus the assist for Clauss.