Asamoah Gyan's penalty in first-half stoppage time earned Rennes a share of the spoils against Nice at the Stade du Ray. Chaouki Ben Saada had put Nice in front in the 43rd minute with a stunning individual goal, but Gyan equalised from the spot to maintain Rennes' unbeaten start to the season.

The Brittany visitors were reduced to ten men in the 76th minute when Junichi Inamoto saw red for two bookings, but they held on comfortably for a point. Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti, back on the south coast a few months after quitting the Nice dug-out, would have been happy with the way his new charges stymied the hosts until Ben Saada's goal.

Indeed the early chances fell Rennes' way, a fierce first-time volley from 30 yards from Jerome Leroy testing the reflexes of goalkeeper David Ospina, who also saved from Gyan. The first real opportunity for Nice, who like Rennes won their first game of the campaign, came after 41 minutes when David Hellebuyck created some space on the left before firing in a low shot that was well held by Rennes custodian Nicolas Douchez.

Ben Saada broke the deadlock moments later, and it was a goal straight from the top drawer. The Tunisian collected on his chest Onyekachi Apam's pass from defence before running 30 yards and placing a low effort past Douchez into the corner.

Rennes levelled almost immediately via a penalty conceded when Gregory Paisley handled a cross from the right from Ismael Bangoura. Gyan stroked home the spot-kick to Ospina's right.

The visitors started the second half well, with winger Moussa Sow having a shot saved and then sending a diving header narrowly wide after a free-flowing counter-attack. They had to survive the last quarter of an hour a man light after Inamoto was dismissed, the Japan midfielder picking up a second yellow card for a foul on substitute Habib Bamogo, but Nice could not take advantage.