A mouthwatering showdown between two in-form, title-chasing Ligue 1 teams takes place at the Roazhon Park on Sunday as fifth-placed Rennes play host to second-placed Lille.
The home side scraped by against Brest with a 2-1 win last time out, while Lille triumphed by the same scoreline against a resurgent Reims.
Match preview
© Reuters
Julien Stephan has turned Rennes' fortunes around since their abysmal winless run between November and December, and the hosts are firmly back where they belong - in the mix for a Champions League berth and outside contenders for Ligue 1 glory.
Rennes took two points from their opening two matches of 2021 as they drew with Nantes and Lyon, and it proved to be third time lucky for Les Rouge et Noir as they overcame Brest 2-1 last Sunday.
Stephan's side went behind in the opening four minutes through Franck Honorat's goal, but Benjamin Bourigeaud levelled the scores three minutes later before Clement Grenier - who is in inspired form - won the game from the spot in the second period.
Grenier has forced his way back into Stephan's plans in recent weeks, and he now boasts three goals and one assist in his last five matches - an unforeseen turnaround in fortunes for the 30-year-old as he looks to lead a Rennes title charge.
Stephan's men would stretch their unbeaten league run to eight matches with at least a draw against Lille, although that will be a difficult ask against a visiting side hot on Paris Saint-Germain's trail.
© Reuters
Christophe Galtier's Lille took advantage of Lyon's slip-up against Metz by scraping a 2-1 win over Reims, although Les Dogues had a couple of individual mistakes to thank for their slender victory.
Reims took the lead as Arber Zeneli's cross found its way through Mike Maignan's legs into the back of the net, but Jonathan Bamba curled in a delightful leveller after Moreto Cassama's slip, and Jonathan David poked home in the final few minutes after Predrag Rajkovic spilled a shot from Xeka.
However, PSG also capitalised on Lyon's uncharacteristic home defeat to sit top of the pile, but Lille are now only behind the reigning champions - who face Montpellier HSC on Friday - on goal difference before the weekend's matches take place.
The manner of Lille's victories against Reims and Nimes since the turn of the year have not been all that convincing, but having won their last three away from home in the top flight, Galtier's men can afford to feel confident about their chances of a crucial win against a fellow title hopeful.
That being said, Rennes have not lost at home to Lille since the 2009-10 campaign, and the first meeting between the two sides this season ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Rennes Ligue 1 form: WWWDDW
Lille Ligue 1 form: WDWLWW
Team News
© Reuters
Rennes midfielder Bourigeaud will sit this one out following an accumulation of yellow cards, so Yann Gboho will hope to earn a start on the left-hand side.
However, Adrien Truffert could play in a more advanced role if Stephan elects to bring Faitout Maouassa back into the fold, with Martin Terrier leading the line once again over Adrien Hunou.
Flavien Tait, Damien Da Silva and Serhou Guirassy all remain sidelined for the visitors, while M'Baye Niang missed out last weekend due to sickness.
Lille have a suspended midfielder of their own in the form of Xeka, but Liverpool-linked Renato Sanches could potentially return to the fold this weekend.
Burak Yilmaz's prolific start to life with Les Dogues has been cut short by a calf problem, and the 35-year-old will not get the chance to hit double figures for the league season this weekend.
Galtier has had to cope without both recognised right-backs in Jeremy Pied and Zeki Celik recently, but the latter is thought to have a good chance of returning here.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Salin; Traore, Nyamsi, Aguerd, Maouassa; Nzonzi, Camavinga, Grenier; Doku, Terrier, Truffert
Lille possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Celik, Fonte, Botman, Bradaric; Ikone, Andre, Sanches, Bamba; David, Yazici
We say: Rennes 2-1 Lille
Had Reims not been the masters of their own downfall last weekend, Lille may have struggled to get over the line. Rennes boast a strong record in this fixture but have not dominated teams by any means this year, and while this is sure to be a terrific game for the neutrals, we are backing the hosts to close the gap on Galtier's men to three points with a hard-fought win.
