Rennes vs Strasbourg – News and Probable Lineups

Rennes will be aiming to maintain their unbeaten home record in Ligue 1 this season as they host Strasbourg at Roazhon Park on Sunday.

Currently, the Brittany side is ranked sixth in the table after suffering a 4-3 defeat to Paris FC last weekend, while Strasbourg has dropped to 14th place following their 3-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

Match overview

Having enjoyed a decent start to October with victories in their first two Ligue 1 matches, Stade Rennais now approaches this weekend amid a two-match winless streak across all competitions.

Franck Haise’s team has conceded six goals combined in their last two competitive matches, including letting a 2-1 lead slip against Juventus on Thursday in a Europa League match, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Rennes has lost points in two of their three fixtures in the League Phase of that competition but still stands a chance of making it to the knockout rounds, currently sitting at 13th with five points.

Although they have allowed multiple goals in four of their five competitive away games this season, the team has been successful at home, achieving a four-match winning streak across all competitions while conceding one goal or less in their last three encounters.

While the Brittany club boasts the highest goals per match rate in Ligue 1 (2.1), they have also conceded the second-highest number of goals among teams currently in the top half of the table (14).

Les Rennais have the opportunity to extend their winning run against Strasbourg to four matches this weekend, having gone unbeaten in six consecutive encounters against them at Roazhon Park.

As the saying goes, it’s not about how you begin but how you finish, a sentiment that Strasbourg can relate to given their recent performances.

Hugo Oliveira’s squad has struck first in three of their last four league matches but has failed to secure a win in any of those encounters, resulting in the surrender of eight crucial points.

This situation leaves them just three points above the relegation zone heading into this weekend, with those eight dropped points illustrating the gap between 14th and first.

Another setback on Sunday would mark their longest losing streak in this competition (four matches) since 2024-25, when they lost four in succession.

Strasbourg has the second-highest number of goals conceded in Ligue 1 thus far (15), with ten of those coming away from home.

Although they haven’t tasted victory against Rennes at Roazhon Park since 2018 (4-1), Le Racing has a perfect record in Brittany this year, celebrating wins at Lorient and Brest last season.

Rennes Ligue 1 form:

Team News

Last season’s top scorer in Ligue 1, Esteban Lepaul, may miss out on this fixture due to an ankle injury, having been sidelined during their Europa League clash against Juventus earlier this week.

This would be a significant loss, considering the league’s top goal scorer netted a hat-trick in a losing effort against Paris FC, while Musa Al-Taamari and Boulaye Dia were on the scoresheet in their midweek draw against Juventus.

On the injury front for Strasbourg, Sebastian Nanasi and Ismael Doukoure could miss the match due to their injuries, along with Martial Godo, who is dealing with a muscle strain, while Maxi Oyedele and Deivid Washington are also nursing knocks.

Hermann Malonga and Fabio Balde are also doubtful due to injuries, while Giovanni Reyna managed to score the lone goal for them in their match against PSG last week.

Rennes probable starting XI:

Pray; Frankowski, Ait Boudlal, Cresswell, Reynolds; Cisse, Rongier; Al-Taamari, Camara, Thomasson; Nordin

Strasbourg probable starting XI:

Jorgensen; Antwi, Coulibaly, Mitchell, Bear; Queen, El Mourabet, Diop; Yassine, Ortega, Amo-Ameyaw

If Lepaul is unable to participate, which seems highly probable, it would be a setback for the home side. However, Strasbourg has struggled to close out matches, leading us to anticipate a draw on Sunday.