Rennes beat Metz to move into fourth place in Ligue 1

METZ, France (AP) — A first goal of the season for Valentin Rongier gave Rennes a 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Metz and moved it into fourth place in Ligue 1 on Friday.

The fourth win in a row for Rennes took it above Strasbourg and Lille.

Beye Habib’s side was behind only Lens, Marseille and league leader Paris Saint-Germain, who it plays next weekend.

The only goal came midway through the first half when Rongier, who struck the woodwork a few minutes earlier, hit the net with a right-foot strike.

Metz had won three of its previous four league games and pushed forward as the game went on but could not get an elusive equalizer.

It remained second from bottom with 11 points from 14 games.

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