Monaco’s Jeremy Toulalan (left) vies for the ball with Rennes’ Benjamin Andre during the French L1 football match at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco yesterday. (AFP)

AFP/Paris

Monaco’s stuttering early-season form continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Rennes in Ligue 1 yesterday, while Caen rose to third after beating Saint-Etienne.
Rennes, whose terrific start has somewhat subsided after a fourth draw in a row, took a first-half lead at the Stade Louis II through Abdoulaye Doucoure.
But Monaco fought back after the break with Brazilian Wallace scoring his first goal in the French top flight to salvage a point for Leonardo Jardim’s men, who also had Danijel Subasic to thank for a second-half penalty save.
The principality side have now won just three of nine matches to start the campaign and sit tenth in the table, seven points behind Paris Saint-Germain ahead of their clash with bitter rivals Marseille later.
Rennes broke the deadlock four minutes before the break when Monaco were caught short at the back as Doucoure slipped in between Andrea Raggi and Thomas Lemar to head past Subasic.
Monaco responded six minutes into the second half as Nabil Dirar flicked on a Lemar corner with Wallace applying the finishing touch.
Rennes should have regained the lead on 64 minutes after Fabinho brought down Cheikh M’Bengue in the area but Pedro Henrique saw his spot-kick kept out by Subasic.
Rennes also suffered the loss of winger Paul-Georges Ntep, who was stretchered off with a hamstring injury midway through the second half - probably ruling him out of international duty with France next week.
Elsewhere, Caen registered a fourth win in five as Andy Delort’s 62nd-minute goal was enough to give them all three points against Saint-Etienne as Les Verts slumped to a second successive defeat, having entered the weekend in second.
The result left Patrice Garande’s men level with promoted Angers, just two points behind three-time reigning champions PSG.
Lorient rallied from a goal down to beat Bordeaux 3-2 with Benjamin Moukandjo, Majeed Waris and Zargo Toure all on target for the hosts after Diego Rolan had given Willy Sagnol’s men a first-half lead.
Both teams finished with 10 men as Lorient’s Lamine Gassama and Bordeaux’s Andre Biyogo Poko were dismissed near the end before Adam Ounas pulled one back for the visitors.