Nice vs Rennes – News and Probable Lineups

Rennes look to achieve back-to-back wins at Allianz Riviera for the first time this century as they take on Nice in a Ligue 1 clash on Saturday.

Both sides come into this matchup in good form, with Nice climbing to 10th place following a 2-1 victory over Brest, while Stade Rennais sit in second place after eight matches, having routed Strasbourg 3-0 last week.

Match overview

Unlike last season, a poor beginning to the current campaign has not severely hindered Nice in domestic competitions for the 2026-27 season.

The squad that avoided relegation through playoffs last season has captured three victories from their last four league games after failing to secure a win in their opening four fixtures.

Guided by Olivier Pantaloni, this team remains unbeaten at home this season, allowing one goal or fewer across those four matches.

On Saturday, they have the chance to secure three consecutive Ligue 1 victories at Allianz Riviera for the first time since winning their last three domestic matches at home during the 2024-25 season.

While their defence has been solid, particularly at home, Nice has struggled with creativity in attack, ranking third from the bottom in terms of big chances created (16) in Ligue 1.

Conversely, Les Aiglons have triumphed in three of their last four encounters against Rennes at Allianz Riviera, the latest of which occurred in 2025 (3-2).

Franck Haise is relishing his time away from Nice, having found success since joining Stade Rennais last season.

The former Lens head coach endured a difficult time in southern France last season and was dismissed towards the end of 2025 after Nice experienced six consecutive defeats in Ligue 1.

Since his arrival at Rennes in February, Haise has only lost five domestic matches, four of which were away games.

As matchday nine approaches, Stade Rennais find themselves just a point behind Paris Saint-Germain at the top, while also being three points clear of Lens, who are currently outside of European qualification spots.

The Brittany side will attempt to break a four-match winless streak away from home across all competitions on Saturday, having conceded 10 goals in total during their last three outings.

Les Rennais have found the net in each of their last five Ligue 1 encounters against Nice, winning 4-0 in Haise’s first return to Allianz Riviera back in March.

Team News

Ali Abdi may be sidelined for Nice due to a leg injury, and Moise Bombito is recovering from a lower-leg fracture. Meanwhile, Salis Abdul Samed and Jonathan Clauss are considered doubtful due to minor injuries.

Antoine Mendy and Laurent Abergel are both out as they continue their recovery from cruciate ligament tears.

In their last match, Elye Wahi and Sofiane Diop scored second-half goals at Brest, coming back from an opening goal by Ludovic Ajorque.

On the Rennes side, their top scorer Esteban Lepaul is questionable with an ankle injury, having missed the previous match because of it.

In his absence, the team opted for a two-striker setup against Strasbourg, with Boulaye Dia and Musa Al-Taamari starting, the former netting the winning goal.

Sebastian Szymanski contributed with a brace, and Brice Samba made two crucial saves, achieving his second clean sheet of the Ligue 1 season.

Nice probable starting XI:

Diouf; Seidu, Ndayishimiye, Abdelmonem; Koutoune, Boudaoui, Witsel, Nkounkou; Hein, Diop; Revelation

Rennes probable starting XI:

Samba; Ait Boudlal, Cresswell, Rouault; Frankowski, Cisse; Szymanski, Rongier, Camara; Dia, Al-Taamari

Despite Rennes’ away struggles, they have shown resilience under Haise, and it is anticipated that Nice may find it challenging to deal with a squad like Stade Rennais that possesses depth and balance.