Nice 5-2 Rennes: Sepe Elye Wahi Hat-Trick Inspires Thrilling Victory Over Rennes

OGC Nice produced one of their most convincing attacking displays of the season as they swept aside Stade Rennais FC 5-2 in a seven-goal thriller on Friday night.

The result was built around a sensational hat-trick from Sepe Elye Wahi, whose three goals gave Nice a decisive edge in a contest that repeatedly shifted between the two penalty areas. Jonathan Clauss and Mohamed Amoura also found the net for the hosts, while Rennes responded through Sebastian Szymanski and Boulaye Dia.

Nice entered the game looking to turn home advantage into another important result, and they made an immediate statement. Wahi opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, giving Rennes goalkeeper little chance and putting the hosts in front before the visitors had fully settled into the contest.

Rennes refused to let the early setback dictate the evening. Their response came just three minutes later when Szymanski levelled the score in the 15th minute. The equaliser gave the visitors renewed confidence and showed that Nice would have to work for control despite their bright start.

The pace remained high as both teams searched for openings. Rennes actually enjoyed slightly more of the ball overall, finishing with 53 percent possession compared with Nice’s 47 percent. That advantage, however, did not translate into a better result. Nice were far more ruthless when opportunities arrived, particularly in the decisive areas of the pitch.

Wahi restored Nice’s lead in the 34th minute, completing his second goal of the night and putting the home side back in command. His movement and finishing caused constant problems for the Rennes defence, and the second goal changed the momentum of the first half.

Nice then delivered another blow just before the interval. Clauss struck in the second minute of stoppage time, sending the hosts into half-time with a 3-1 advantage. The timing of the goal was especially damaging for Rennes because it came when the visitors would have hoped to reach the break within one goal of their opponents.

Rennes needed a strong start to the second half, but Nice quickly extended their advantage. Amoura scored in the 52nd minute, making it 4-1 and giving the hosts a three-goal cushion. The finish further exposed the difficulty Rennes were having in containing Nice’s attacking movement.

The visitors did not surrender. Dia converted a penalty in the 58th minute to reduce the deficit to 4-2, briefly giving Rennes a reason to believe that an unlikely comeback might still be possible.

Nice, however, remained composed. Rather than allowing Rennes’ second goal to create panic, the home side continued to look for another opportunity to settle the contest. That moment arrived in the 73rd minute when Wahi completed his hat-trick.

The third goal was the perfect ending to an outstanding individual performance. Wahi had already scored twice before the break and then returned after half-time to finish the job, taking his personal tally to three goals and Nice’s total to five.

The statistics underline how open the match was. Rennes finished with 18 total shots, one more than Nice’s 17, while the visitors also registered nine efforts on target compared with Nice’s eight. The difference was not the volume of attempts but the effectiveness with which Nice converted their chances.

The hosts also recorded 10 attempts from inside the box, while Rennes had 14. Three Nice shots were blocked, compared with two from Rennes, and both sides had opportunities they failed to take. Despite Rennes creating plenty of attacking moments, Nice repeatedly punished defensive weaknesses and made the most of their clearest openings.

For Rennes, the scoreline will be particularly frustrating because their attacking numbers were competitive. They had more possession, more total shots and more efforts on target, yet they left the stadium with a three-goal defeat. The result demonstrated how quickly a match can get away from a team when defensive errors and poor game management are combined with an opponent capable of finishing clinically.

Nice, meanwhile, will take enormous confidence from the manner of the victory. They showed that they could survive periods without the ball, absorb Rennes’ pressure and still create enough danger to produce a commanding scoreline. Their four-goal second-half contribution and first-half response to Rennes’ equaliser were especially impressive.

The performance also highlighted the importance of Wahi to Nice’s attacking threat. His first penalty settled the early nerves, his second goal restored the lead after Szymanski’s equaliser, and his third goal ended any realistic hope of a Rennes comeback. Each strike arrived at a significant moment, making his contribution about more than simply the number beside his name.

For that reason, Wahi was the clear Man of the Match. The forward finished the evening with three goals and played the central role in Nice’s victory. His finishing was decisive, while his presence gave Rennes’ defenders a problem they struggled to solve throughout the night.

Wahi’s hat-trick also gave the match its defining storyline. In a game where Rennes had enough possession and attacking production to cause serious problems, Nice needed a player capable of turning opportunities into goals. Wahi provided exactly that. His performance combined composure from the penalty spot with the ability to finish from open play, and his influence remained evident from the opening whistle until his third goal in the 73rd minute.

Clauss and Amoura also deserve recognition for their contributions. Clauss’ stoppage-time goal before the break gave Nice valuable breathing room, while Amoura’s strike early in the second half placed the hosts firmly in control. Their goals ensured that Rennes could not focus solely on stopping Wahi.

Szymanski and Dia gave Rennes something to build on, but their goals were ultimately overshadowed by Nice’s attacking efficiency. Szymanski’s equaliser showed Rennes had the character to respond quickly, while Dia’s penalty made the score 4-2 and briefly reopened the contest. Yet neither moment was enough to alter the final outcome.

The victory will be remembered for Nice’s clinical finishing and Wahi’s outstanding individual display. Rennes were competitive in several statistical areas, but football is ultimately decided by what happens in front of goal, and Nice were considerably more effective when their opportunities arrived.

By the final whistle, the 5-2 scoreline reflected a match in which Nice repeatedly found ways to hurt Rennes at crucial moments. The hosts responded to every challenge, recovered from the early equaliser, extended their lead before half-time, survived Rennes’ attempt to fight back and then closed the contest through Wahi’s third goal.

For Nice, it was a night of attacking confidence, resilience and ruthless finishing. For Rennes, it was a painful reminder that controlling possession and producing shots mean little without the defensive discipline and finishing required to turn those numbers into points.

Above everything else, Wahi’s three-goal performance stood out. His hat-trick transformed an entertaining contest into a memorable Nice victory and made him the undisputed star of the night.