Rennes put last weekend's four-goal mauling by Montpellier behind them as they recorded a second win of the season with a 3-2 victory over Caen, although they nearly let it slip.
Razak Boukari, Jires Kembo-Ekoko and Kader Mangane all scored before the break, with Caen missing a penalty through M'Baye Niang, and the game looked to be over.
But Thomas Heurtaux and Frederic Bulot netted within three minutes of each other in the second half to slash the deficit, only for Caen to fail to find an equaliser.
Rennes made an ideal start, with Boukari giving them a fifth-minute lead when Julien Ferret's free-kick hit the wall and bounced up kindly to be headed home.
Their lead should not have lasted, though, as six minutes later, Caen failed from the spot.
Kembo-Ekoko was the guilty party, bringing down Alexandre Raineau, but Niang's penalty kick was comfortably saved by Benoit Costil.
Caen then had another chance to level, with Raineau setting up Niang, only for the striker to see his volley deflected behind, with Costil denying Bulot from the subsequent corner.
The visitors were made to pay for their missed chances as they went two goals behind four minutes before the break.
Kembo-Ekoko was the scorer, making up for his earlier error, finding an open goal after Jonathan Pitroipa picked up possession, ran through on Alexis Thebaux's goal and squared.
Stung, Caen had little time to regroup and conceded again on the stroke of half-time as Mangane scuffed a volley in off his knee after a free-kick from Feret.
Caen were unlucky to be so far adrift at the break, but it could have been worse after they returned as Pitroipa shaved a post with an effort from the edge of the box.
The visitors finally got a break a minute before the hour, though, with Romain Hamouma going down the right and crossing for Kandia Traore. His header was beaten away by Costil, but Heurtaux was lurking and found the open net on the rebound.
Another goal followed in the 61st minute, with Bulot finishing clinically after running on to Traore's long ball, but beyond that chances were limited and Rennes held on.
