Rennes on a roll with Utaka
Friday, March 24, 2006
Article summary
With striker John Utaka in stunning form, Stade Rennais FC are making a late charge for one of France's three places in the UEFA Champions League.
Article body
Pushing hard
Rennes are up to sixth in Ligue 1 and, with seven games to go, are just five points behind LOSC Lille Métropole in France's third and final UEFA Champions League place. The Brittany club will have every confidence as their run-in features only one match against higher-ranked opponents - the final-day showdown at home to Lille on 13 May.
Four goals
Key to their chances will be Utaka. The Nigerian international scored all four goals in Tuesday's 4-1 French Cup win at SR Colmar, and will be looking to extend a magnificent run of ten goals in four games against ES Troyes Aube Champagne on Saturday. "It's a joy for me to score so many goals in such a short time but don't get confused - it's the result of a team effort," said Utaka, who registered back-to-back hat-tricks against RC Lens and Olympique Lyonnais in late February before getting injured.
Difficult patch
Goals had previously been scarce for Utaka. The 24-year-old failed to score at the African Cup of Nations and, prior to his purple patch, had recorded only three for Rennes since his summer move from Lens, in addition to one for Nigeria in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. However, the forward is wise enough to know that, in football, it is generally best to go with the flow. "I've seen a lot in my career and this won't change my approach to the job," he said. "One day you are up, the next, down."
Parting shot
Prior to his €6m arrival at Rennes, Utaka spent three years with Lens, whom he had joined from Qatari outfit Al Saad. Ironically, his last goals for Lens came with a treble in a 5-2 victory against Rennes last May. His latest scoring streak has coincided with the absence through injury of Rennes's Switzerland forward Alexander Frei, yet coach Laszlo Bölöni insists there is more to Utaka's blossoming than just the chance to play as an out-and-out striker.
Settled in
"Utaka has found his mark and feels more comfortable with us," said Bölöni. "That's very important for a forward." Troyes will hope to make the Nigerian feel a little less at ease when they visit Rennes this weekend.
