Sunday's Ligue 1 action begins with an intriguing Derby Breton, where a leaky Lorient side welcome a Rennes side on a two-game losing streak to the Stade du Moustoir for the lunchtime kickoff.
Les Merlus came from 3-1 down to snatch a point in a 3-3 draw with Lyon two weekends ago, while their visitors were powerless to quell the Paris Saint-Germain juggernaut, losing 3-1 to the champions.
Match preview
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As has been the case throughout the past few weeks, worrying defensive deficiencies jeopardised Lorient's chances of a positive result away to crisis club Lyon before the international hiatus, as two Alexandre Lacazette efforts and an Ernest Nuamah attempt cancelled out Eli Junior Kroupi's fine opener.
However, the momentum shifted significantly in the second 45, where Lorient's teenage starlet Kroupi doubled his tally for the afternoon before Darlin Yongwa left Anthony Lopes with no chance with a venomous drive into the top corner with 11 minutes remaining.
As the discontent continued to grow around the Groupama Stadium, Lorient could afford to pat themselves on the back as they went their separate ways for the two-week hiatus, but Regis Le Bris's side are still in a precarious position at the foot of the table.
Now without a win in five successive Ligue 1 fixtures, Les Merlus are entrenched in 16th place - which would force them to fight for their top-tier status in the relegation/promotion playoff - but such is the tight nature of the table that only three points separates them from Strasbourg in 10th.
Lorient seemed to use up all of their rearguard reserves in an opening-day 0-0 draw with PSG, though, as Le Bris's side have now conceded an alarming 16 goals in their last five matches - an average of more than three per game - and a 3-0 loss to Montpellier HSC on October 1 saw the hosts' six-game scoring streak at the Stade du Moustoir come to an end.
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Lorient and Rennes' backlines can empathise when it comes to letting in three goals in their most recent fixtures, but unlike their hosts, there was no phenomenal turnaround for Bruno Genesio's men when a wounded Paris Saint-Germain made the trek to Roazhon Park.
Seeking to bounce back from their Champions League catastrophe against Newcastle United, PSG raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of Vitinha's long-range stunner and Achraf Hakimi's header, but Amine Gouiri made things interesting by meeting Ludovic Blas's cross to halve the deficit in the 56th minute.
PSG boss Luis Enrique immediately responded to that setback by introducing Randal Kolo Muani, though, and it was an inspired change from the Spaniard, who witnessed the ex-Nantes starlet restore the champions' advantage mere seconds after he entered the fray.
Also reeling from a 1-0 Europa League loss to Villarreal, the international period came at an opportune time for Rouges et Noir boss Genesio, whose side are in an unspectacular eighth spot in the table, thanks in no small part to a league-high five draws from eight games to date.
Three of those stalemates have come in Rennes' first three away matches of the new term versus Lens, Brest and Montpellier, but just one goal conceded in that stretch means that Genesio's side boast the league's best defensive record on their travels so far, albeit while netting just once themselves.
Les Rouges et Noir also managed just a solitary strike in their two meetings with Lorient last term as they were consigned to back-to-back defeats against Les Merlus, who claimed a 1-0 Roazhon Park upset before triumphing 2-1 at their headquarters in January.
Team News
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Lorient's recent defensive woes can be traced back to a spate of rearguard injuries, as left-backs Benjamin Mendy (thigh) and Vincent Le Goff (unspecified) are both in the treatment room, as is holding midfielder Bonke Innocent, whose groin is giving him grief.
A similar issue should also prevent Bamba Dieng from turning out for the hosts this week, while Quentin Boisgard represents Lorient's fifth and final injury concern as he battles his way back from a foot problem.
Both Julien Ponceau and Julien Laporte were sacrificed at half time in the six-goal spectacular with Lyon, and given his side's marked improvement after the break, Le Bris will certainly be tempted to field Tiemoue Bakayoko and Formose Mendy from the off here.
Meanwhile, experienced Rennes midfielder Nemanja Matic has fallen foul of the disciplinary rules, and the ex-Manchester United and Chelsea man will serve a one-game suspension on Sunday for an accumulation of yellow cards.
As such, Baptiste Santamaria should be recalled to the first XI as Rennes' deepest-lying lynchpin, but the visitors have no injured players to work around and welcomed Martin Terrier back to Ligue 1 action against PSG for the first time since his devastating cruciate ligament injury.
The Frenchman should continue to build up his minutes from the bench for the time being, though, while former Lorient man Enzo Le Fee will push to displace Fabian Rieder and make a start against his old employers.
Lorient possible starting lineup:
Mvogo; Toure, F. Mendy, Talbi; Le Bris, Abergel, Ponceau, Yongwa; Faivre, Tosin, Kroupi
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Assignon, Omari, Theate, Truffert; Le Fee, Santamaria, Bourigeaud; Blas, Kalimuendo, Gouiri
We say: Lorient 1-3 Rennes
Rennes' trio of away fixtures this term have been nothing to write home about, but the floodgates could open for Genesio's Terrier-reinforced attack on Sunday, where a shaky Lorient rearguard should not emerge unscathed.
Le Bris's team are rarely kept at arm's length on their own patch either, but having enjoyed a timely break amid a minor downturn in fortunes, a refreshed Rouges et Noir should travel home with all three points and the Brittany bragging rights.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
