European-chasing Rennes welcome bottom-placed Angers to Roazhon Park for a Ligue 1 clash on Sunday.
The visitors are destined for Ligue 2 and their relegation could be confirmed this weekend.
Match preview
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At the other end of the table, Rennes have lost ground in the race for Europe due to their defeat against another side fighting towards the bottom last weekend.
It was an inexplicable defeat for Bruno Genesio's side as they went down to 10-man Montpellier HSC.
A win would have moved Rennes into the European places, but they now find themselves three points behind Lille in fifth.
The result saw a continuation of Rennes' poor away form this season which has seen them take just 17 points from 16 games on the road.
Their form altogether since the World Cup has been extremely concerning, as Genesio has overseen nine defeats from 17 games since club football returned.
Only the current bottom three - who are all cut adrift - have lost more games during this period.
After averaging over two points per game before the World Cup, Rennes are now barely averaging a point since.
Their results at Roazhon Park have remained largely positive though, as five wins from eight here in 2023 means European football is still a realistic possibility next season.
Beating Angers in the reverse fixture back in October bodes well, especially considering they have won four of their last five head-to-heads on home soil.
Angers enter the weekend knowing their time in Ligue 1 will soon be up, as anything but a win here will confirm their relegation to Ligue 2.
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They could be relegated before that, should Strasbourg claim a result at home to Lyon on Friday, as the curtain will soon come up on a sodden season for Le SCO.
Taking just 14 points from their 32 games so far is the second-worst points tally in the three-points-per-win era in Ligue 1.
Angers' unwanted record of 25 league defeats is also an all-time record at this stage of a French top-flight season, but they are going down fighting at least.
A shock win over another European-chasing outfit Lille, a draw with Nice, and narrow defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Clermont represents a big improvement of late.
Between late September and the most recent international break, Angers took just two points from a possible 60, but taking four in the space of a week recently means they are not as much of a pushover as they may have been earlier in the campaign.
With nothing to play for themselves except pride, Angers could still have a huge say in how the league table shapes up.
Their next three games are all against sides currently in the top six fighting for respective European places, while their final two matches come against sides battling to avoid relegation.
Team News
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Martin Terrier continues to be a huge miss for Rennes after an ACL injury ended his season in January.
Promising left-back Adrien Truffert also will not feature again this campaign with an ankle injury.
Youngster Desire Doue is expected to miss out with a back problem, while Xeka and Lorenz Assignon are also set to remain sidelined.
Angers will be able to welcome back the experienced Nabil Bentaleb from suspension for their trip to Rennes here.
Amine Salama is a doubt with a muscle injury, and is one of an eye-watering number of Angers players missing with injury.
Regular starters Faouzi Ghoulam and Pierrick Capelle are among a further nine players out injured.
Lois Diony and Ilyes Chetti remain out long term, while Souleyman Doumbia and Farid El Melali are also nursing injuries.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Traore, Omari, Theate, Meling; Ugochukwu, Bourigeaud, Majer; Doku, Kalimuendo, Gouiri
Angers possible starting lineup:
Bernardoni; Valery, Camara, Hountondji, Bamba, Kalumba; Abdelli, Mendy, Bentaleb; Bahoya, Niane
We say: Rennes 3-0 Angers
Rennes will be fully expectant on maintaining their charge for Europe by bouncing back with a win over the league's bottom club here.
Angers have shown signs of improvement recently, but they are unlikely to find the win that may be needed to delay the inevitable relegation confirmation.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
