With just four games of the season remaining, a key battle in the fight at the top end of the Ligue 1 table will take place at Roazhon Park on Sunday, as Rennes welcome Brest.
The hosts require a victory to keep any hopes of continental qualification alive this term, while their visitors will bid to defend their top-three spot following consecutive losses.
Match preview
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Rennes return to action on Sunday with the aim of keeping any faint hopes of a top-five finish in Ligue 1 alive in the final four games of the season, having lost crucial ground recently.
Following back-to-back fourth-placed finishes in France's top flight, Les Rouge et Noirs set out to again earn European qualification this time around, and they certainly sat in a strong position to do so in mid-February, as a run of six straight victories left them poised on 34 points from 22 outings, but they have been unable to maintain such a run since, falling well behind in the top-six race as a result.
Indeed, Julien Stephan's men went on to add just five more points to their tally in the following seven attempts, with their only victory in that span coming at home to Marseille in mid-March, before their European hopes were dealt their largest blow yet in consecutive defeats at the hands of Strasbourg, Monaco and Toulouse.
Desperate to return to winning ways and remain in the fight, Les Rouge et Noirs most recently set out to return to winning ways in a trip to Nantes last Saturday, and they succeeded in doing so in pleasing fashion, despite the game remaining goalless for over an hour, as Arnaud Kalimuendo, Benjamin Bourigeaud and Amine Gouiri went on to find the net in a 3-0 triumph.
Having rebuilt confidence with that much-needed victory, but still facing a four-point gap up to sixth spot and a six-point deficit to the top five with just four games left to play, any hopes of continental qualification will likely rest on Rennes producing a near-perfect record in their final four outings, and they will bid to take a step closer and apply pressure with a second straight victory on Sunday.
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That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors arrive aiming to correct their own form and strengthen their position in Ligue 1's top three in the midst of a memorable campaign.
Following a 14th-placed finish in the French top flight last time around, Brest have enjoyed an eye-catching improvement this term, fighting around the top end of the table throughout having amassed 53 points from their 30 outings thus far, and they would move clear in the top three and closer to guaranteed Champions League group-stage football with back-to-back wins, firstly seeing off Lorient on their travels before scraping a 4-3 win at home to Metz at the beginning of April.
Those triumphs left Eric Roy's side in a particularly strong standing in the top-three fight with six games to go, but they have since seen a lead over the chasing pack cut down by consecutive defeats heading into the weekend, as they firstly visited Lyon and succumbed to a 4-3 defeat of their own despite going 3-1 up in the second half thanks to Steve Mounie's leveller and a Romain Del Castillo brace.
A tough meeting with second-placed Monaco then followed most recently on Sunday, and Les Pirates would again come away empty-handed, falling to a 2-0 loss at the Stade Francis-Le Ble as Denis Zakaria and Takumi Minamino netted goals shortly either side of half time.
Still sitting third in Ligue 1 but with just a one-point lead over fourth-placed Lille and the chance to guarantee a top-six finish and resultant European qualification with a victory on Sunday, Brest will bid to bounce back and solidify their position in the final one of the league's three Champions League group-stage spots.
Team News
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Following last weekend's 3-0 triumph to end their losing run, Rennes may head into Sunday's contest with an unchanged starting XI, as defenders Adrien Truffert and Mahamadou Nagida are both set to continue spells in the treatment room.
Julien Stephan does have decisions to make in attack, though, after Benjamin Bourigeaud and Amine Gouiri both scored off the bench in their win over Nantes, and both will push to return to the front line from the outset on Sunday, with the former leading their scoring charts on 14 goals for the season.
They do face competition, though, with Ludovic Blas, Martin Terrier and Desire Doue having been preferred last time out, and Arnaud Kalimuendo is bound to again lead the line after hitting his 12th goal of the term against Nantes, while Baptiste Santamaria and Azor Matusiwa will continue their partnership at the base of the midfield.
Brest will likely travel on Sunday without key defender Lillian Brassier, who missed their recent defeat to Monaco through injury, meaning Julien Le Cardinal should again deputise alongside Brendan Chardonnet in the middle of a back four.
They will, however, be boosted by the return of midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou, who was ruled out of that contest through suspension, and he may rejoin Hugo Magnetti at the base of the midfield in their 4-2-3-1 shape.
Steve Mounie will continue to lead the line, while it is former Rennes winger Romain Del Castillo who has shone going forward this term, contributing eight goals and eight assists in 30 Ligue 1 appearances thus far.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; G Doue, Omari, Wooh, Belocian; Matusiwa, Santamaria; Bourigeaud, Gouiri, Blas; Kalimuendo
Brest possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Lala, Chardonnet, Le Cardinal, Locko; Magnetti, Lees-Melou; Del Castillo, Doumbia, Satriano; Mounie
We say: Rennes 2-1 Brest
Despite enjoying an impressive campaign, Brest appear to have lost a degree of momentum in their Champions League bid, and while that may be down to a tough run of fixtures, they face another difficult test at the weekend against a Rennes side rejuvenated by an important victory last time out, and we back the hosts to make it consecutive three-point hauls on Sunday as a result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
