Clearly eager to make amends following a run of two defeats in a row, Marseille created the first big opportunity of the game, which saw Brice Samba pull off a decent save to prevent Igor Paixao from giving the visitors the lead after 11 minutes.
Large portions of the first half were a scrappy affair, with both sides struggling to keep possession for long periods. This resulted in a number of long-range efforts attempted in order to break the deadlock. The best of these strikes came from Olympiens captain Timothy Weah, as his ambitious strike was expertly tipped over the bar by Samba.
Despite a lack of clear-cut chances inside the opening 45 minutes, Marseille certainly carried more threat than their opponents going forward, and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg should have at least hit the target with a shot from inside the box.
Franck Haise’s half-time team talk must have been an inspiring one, as Rennes played with a much quicker tempo following the restart and duly edged in front after 52 minutes when Adrien Thomasson slotted home from close range for his first goal for Les Rouge et Noir.
Marseille almost equalised just six minutes later when Højbjerg fired a shot on target from a very promising position, but Samba produced an excellent stop to keep Rennes in front.
Thomasson came desperately close to doubling the hosts’ advantage after 72 minutes with a rapid shot from inside the box that cannoned back off the bar.
Meanwhile, the stuffing appeared to have been knocked out of the visitors following the hour mark as they struggled to force Samba into action. A late surge of pressure was inevitable from Marseille in the closing stages, but no golden opportunities materialised to leave Rennes with all three points at the final whistle.
After this result, Rennes now find themselves one point clear of second-placed Monaco in Ligue 1.
Meanwhile, Marseille are down to 11th and will be very disappointed to have only collected three points from their opening four matches. Both teams must now switch their attention to the opening round of the UEFA Europa League league phase next week.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Adrien Thomasson (Rennes)