5th placed Rennes will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to eight matches on Sunday when they play host to 2nd placed Lille at their Roazhon Park and in turn further cement their place in the top five.
Five wins out of seven matches has lifted Rennes into contention for a place in Europe for next season thanks to victories over Nice, Marseille, Lorient, Metz and Brest along with picking up points in draws with Nantes and Lyon, and the hosts now hold a useful four-point cushion over 6th placed Marseille ahead of this weekend’s action in Ligue 1.
[HISTORY KLUB]🔙 𝟐𝟏.𝟎𝟏.𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕Il y a 4⃣ ans, Yoann Gourcuff inscrivait ce 𝒃𝒊𝒋𝒐𝒖.💎 ---#AllezRennes#ToutDonner 💪🔴⚫ pic.twitter.com/wHBT5KqsWd— Stade Rennais F.C. (@staderennais) January 21, 2021
[HISTORY KLUB]🔙 𝟐𝟏.𝟎𝟏.𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟕Il y a 4⃣ ans, Yoann Gourcuff inscrivait ce 𝒃𝒊𝒋𝒐𝒖.💎 ---#AllezRennes#ToutDonner 💪🔴⚫ pic.twitter.com/wHBT5KqsWd
Form and results at home though have been slightly inconsistent where Rennes have been concerned as the hosts have won 5, drawn 2 and lost 3, but goals for both teams have featured on a regular basis at their Roazhon Park with seven of Rennes’s 10 home matches resulting in both teams scoring.
Lille currently occupy 2nd place on goal difference below the new league leaders, PSG, thanks to losing just once out of their last 10 matches overall in Ligue 1 which came in the shape of a 2-1 loss at home to Angers recently.
However, seven wins during this 10-match period has pushed Lille up into serious contention for a possible title challenge as the visitors have lost just twice throughout this season’s Ligue 1 campaign to date.
Lille have also produced some solid displays on the road this season too as they’ve suffered just one defeat but have won 5 and drawn 3 of the remaining eight matches so far this term on their travels.
Victories away at Reims, Strasbourg and then currently three wins on the trot with victories at Dijon, Montpellier and Nimes will have been a welcome boost for Lille as they prepare for the final straight of the season and press home their claims for a Champions League spot next season.
The visitors are likely to face stiff competition from Rennes though in this clash as the hosts are also in solid form right now, so the goals market may well appeal again here as five of Lille’s nine away matches have also resulted in both teams scoring.
It’s also interesting to note that six of the previous seven meetings have also seen both teams score and this trend could continue on Sunday.