Lyon vs Rennes – News and Probable Lineups

Olympique Lyonnais is set to host Stade Rennais at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais this Saturday evening for the fifth round of the 2026-27 Ligue 1 season.

In their previous league match, Les Gones were unable to find the net and finished in a goalless stalemate with Paris FC at the Stade Jean Bouin, whereas Les Rouge et Noir secured a noteworthy 1-0 win against Olympique Marseille at home.

Match overview

Following their qualification for the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds for the first time in five years last season, narrowly edging Olympique Marseille for fourth place by a single point, Lyon appears determined to reclaim their position in Europe’s prestigious tournament come May after a strong start to the current season.

Despite suffering a 3-2 aggregate loss to Fenerbahce in the decisive qualifying match which thwarted their main Champions League ambitions, Les Gones successfully kicked off their Europa League journey with a commendable 2-1 victory over Anderlecht on Wednesday night at the Lotto Park.

Having also accumulated seven points from their initial three Ligue 1 encounters, including solid wins against Toulouse and AJ Auxerre, Paulo Fonseca’s squad was aiming for a win in the capital last Sunday evening to climb above AS Mônaco to the top of the league table.

However, their recent goalless draw with Liam Rosenior’s team means that while Lyon remains among the five sides yet to taste defeat this season, they find themselves in fifth place in the standings, and with challenging fixtures against RC Lens and Paris Saint-Germain looming shortly after the international break, Les Gones are keen to enhance their points tally this weekend.

The home side should feel optimistic about achieving this, as they have triumphed over Rennes in their last two home encounters, including a vital 4-2 win over this opponent in May, which aided Fonseca’s men in securing a top four finish.

After a disappointing 12th place finish during the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season, Rennes significantly improved last term, finishing sixth and securing a return to European competitions after a three-year absence.

Although only four league matches have been played to date, Franck Haise’s team will be aiming for further progress this season as Les Rouge et Noir have only dropped points against Paris Saint-Germain and currently occupy third place in the league table with 10 points, a tally matched only by AS Mônaco and LOSC Lille.

Despite being held to a draw in Austria on Wednesday, Rennes was unfortunate not to win their opening Europa League match, having amassed 23 shots and achieving an xG of 1.99 against a determined Sturm Graz team at the Merkur-Arena, leaving the visitors unbeaten so far this season.

With a series of difficult fixtures both at home and abroad coming up over the next few weeks, including matchups against Paris FC, Juventus, and league leaders Lille, Les Rouge et Noir are focused on maintaining their impressive form as they strive to compete on all fronts as winter approaches.

Nevertheless, while their attacking play has been effective, scoring eight goals across their four league fixtures, Haise’s side will need to address their defensive weaknesses to sustain their competitiveness, particularly with this weekend’s matchup against Lyon, against whom they have conceded 19 goals in the previous nine encounters.

Team News

After missing the previous four matches due to muscular fatigue, Lyon winger Julien Duranville returned to the squad this week but did not come off the bench against Anderlecht.

Having sat out Les Gones’ midweek European encounter with an injury, it seems doubtful that 26-year-old left-back Abner Vinicius will play on Saturday, which should see experienced Argentine Nicolas Tagliafico take his place in the starting lineup.

After scoring what proved to be the winning goal during his full debut on Wednesday, it would not be surprising if Japanese winger Keito Nakamura earned a starting position this weekend.

Following a rocky beginning to the season, Rennes defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal has found himself on the bench for the last two games, with Anthony Rouault taking over his role.

Although he is gradually recovering from a groin injury, Djaoui Cisse is not yet at full match fitness and is highly likely to miss Les Rouge et Noir’s encounter at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

With three goals scored in the first four league matches, a figure surpassed only by three players in the league, Esteban Lepaul stands out as the visitor’s key attacking threat, making it likely for him to score this weekend.

Lyon probable starting XI:

Grave; Athekame, Bacher, Niakhate, Tagliafico; Bidstrup, Morton; Noah, Sulc, Nakamura; Opener

Rennes probable starting XI:

Samba; Frankowski, Cresswell, Rouault, Nagida; Rongier; Blas, Thomasson, Camara, Soumare; Lepaul

With both teams having had relatively similar starts to their respective league campaigns, Saturday’s fixture will be difficult to predict, though it promises to be an exhilarating and fiercely contested matchup.

That said, we anticipate Lyon claiming back-to-back victories for the first time this season at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday, allowing them to move into the Champions League places in the division just before the international break.