Rennes vs Club Brugge KV

Rennes started brightly and Estéban Lepaul — Ligue 1's top scorer last season — forced an early save from Yann Sommer inside two minutes (Le Télégramme). The breakthrough arrived in the 38th minute: Sebastian Szymanski delivered a pinpoint cross from the left and Lepaul planted a header past Sommer for his third goal in as many pre-season appearances.

Club Brugge, playing their fourth friendly of the summer compared to Rennes' third, grew into the game after the break. The equaliser came in the 72nd minute — Kyriani Sabbe, unmarked after a cleared corner, lashed a powerful strike past Kilian Belazzoug from distance (Le Télégramme).

Within four minutes, Brugge had a golden chance to take the lead. The referee judged a handball by Lilian Brassier in the area and pointed to the spot. But Nicolò Tresoldi saw his penalty saved by Kilian Belazzoug, who dived the right way to keep the scores level (Le Télégramme; HLN).

Rennes made them pay. In the 89th minute, Ludovic Blas slipped a through ball to Issa Soumaré, who had already scored against Guingamp in the previous friendly, and the former Le Havre man beat the Brugge goalkeeper to seal the win (Le Télégramme).

Belazzoug's penalty save in the 76th minute — immediately after Sabbe's equaliser — swung the momentum decisively back to Rennes. Had Tresoldi converted, the Belgians would have led a match they had fought back into. Instead, the save kept Rennes level and they capitalised inside the final 90 seconds.

• Estéban Lepaul (Rennes) — Scored for the third consecutive pre-season match (Caen, Guingamp, Brugge). His 38th-minute header was his third goal of the summer, confirming the 25-year-old's sharpness as Ligue 1 approaches.
• Issa Soumaré (Rennes) — The summer signing from Le Havre scored his second goal in two friendly appearances, with the late winner proving his value as a reliable option off the bench.
• Kilian Belazzoug (Rennes) — Produced a crucial penalty save at 1-1, denying Tresoldi just minutes after Brugge's equaliser, keeping Rennes in the game.
• Kyriani Sabbe (Club Brugge) — Scored a stunning equaliser from distance, one of the few bright spots for the Belgian side on a night where they again fell short.

Player of the Match: Estéban Lepaul — three goals in three pre-season games, with a well-taken header against a Champions League-level opponent.

The provider payload shows a single yellow card (Rennes, 30'), four Rennes substitutions and none recorded for Club Brugge — though Brugge made multiple changes at half-time including replacing Sommer, per Le Télégramme. The missed penalty (Tresoldi, 76') is the only recorded shot on target for Brugge in the second half until Sabbe's goal. Rennes' 2-1 scoreline masks a game that was in the balance for 17 minutes between Sabbe's equaliser and the missed penalty; the xG battle would likely have favoured Brugge during that window.

Rennes have now won two of three pre-season friendlies (3-1 vs Guingamp, 2-1 vs Brugge, having lost 1-2 to Caen). Franck Haise's side continue their build-up to the Ligue 1 season, which opens in mid-August. Club Brugge, under Nicky Hayen, have lost their third consecutive pre-season friendly after a run of defeats, and have one week before the Belgian Supercup (HLN). The Belgian champions enter the 2026-27 competitive season earlier than Rennes, with their form trajectory a concern.

A pre-season friendly that delivered genuine drama — a header, a long-range stunner, a missed penalty and a last-minute winner. Rennes look sharper with each outing, Lepaul is in ominous form, and Belazzoug's penalty save will be a confidence booster. Brugge, further along in their schedule but winless in three, have defensive issues to resolve before the Supercup.