Auxerre vs Rennes – News and Probable Lineups

Seeking to distance themselves from automatic relegation, Auxerre will host Rennes at Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps this Sunday.

Having secured a 3-1 victory over Metz, the Burgundy team currently occupies the 16th position in the Ligue 1 standings, whereas Stade Rennais is sitting sixth after their 3-1 triumph over Paris Saint-Germain last week.

Match overview

During the month of February, AJA has been steadily working to reduce their relegation gap, remaining unbeaten in their three league encounters thus far.

During this sequence, Christophe Pelissier’s squad has conceded only once, entering this weekend five points adrift of Paris FC, who are vying for a guaranteed Ligue 1 spot next season.

On Sunday, they have the opportunity to narrow that gap further and put an end to a four-match winless streak at home across all competitions.

As the lowest-scoring team in the division this season with just 17 goals, they have particularly struggled at home, failing to find the net on six occasions.

Additionally, a victory this weekend would mark successive league points at Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps, tying their longest unbeaten streak at home for the 2025-26 season.

AJA has taken points in five of their last six league encounters with the Brittany club at home, having convincingly won this very fixture last season, 4-0.

Rennes’ life post-Habib Beye began rather positively, achieving a victory over the reigning league champions in their only match under interim coach Sebastien Tambouret.

However, his tenure has concluded, as the club appointed Franck Haise, formerly of Nice and Lens, as the new permanent head coach earlier this week.

The Brittany team has suffered three consecutive defeats in competitive matches on the road, conceding three goals in each loss.

Despite the managerial change and recent inconsistency, Rennes is still in contention for a European place, holding a three-point advantage over Strasbourg for a spot in the Conference League.

On Sunday, they have a chance to win two league games in a row for the first time since November, when they were victorious in all four domestic matches played then.

Les Rennais aim to secure their first away victory against Auxerre in this competition since 2011 (1-0), following two matches where they failed to score in their last three competitive visits to Stade de l’Abbe-Deschamps.

Team News

This weekend, Auxerre will be missing Nathan Buayi-Kiala due to a cruciate ligament injury, while Oussama El Azzouzi’s availability is in doubt due to a hamstring issue, and Francisco Sierralta is also questionable due to muscle tightness.

In their match against Metz, Auxerre capitalized on several defensive errors as Sadibou Sane and Urie-Michel Mboula scored own goals, with Kevin Danois adding a late insurance goal for the visitors.

An ankle injury is likely to keep Glen Kamara out of the Rennes squad, while Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal has a thigh strain, Jeremy Jacquet is dealing with a shoulder issue, Mohamed Yassir Zabiri is doubtful due to muscle tightness, and Przemyslaw Frankowski has a calf problem.

Last week, Moussa Al-Taamari, Esteban Lepaul, and Breel Embolo all found the net, helping the team secure their second league victory of 2026.

Auxerre probable starting XI:

Leon; Mother, Diomande, Part, Okoh; Owusu; Coulibaly, Danish; Faivre, Sinayoko, Mara

Rennes probable starting XI:

Samba; Nagida, Brassier, Rouault, Merlin; Rongier, Camara; Cisse, Blas, Al-Taamari; Lepaul

Rennes has yet to secure a victory against any team currently occupying a position in the bottom three this season, while Auxerre has fought valiantly for their survival lately but often lacks the attacking capability needed to secure wins.