The battle for European spots at the top end of the Ligue 1 table will heat up in the penultimate round of league fixtures on Sunday, as Rennes entertain Lens.
With two games left to play, the visitors currently sit sixth, two points ahead of Lyon and four better off than the hosts thanks to a home win last Friday.
Match preview
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Rennes return to Roazhon Park on Sunday with the aim of keeping their faint hopes of a top-six finish in Ligue 1 alive heading into the final day, having kept themselves in the hunt for European spots with a crucial return to winning ways last time out.
In what has certainly been a mixed campaign on the whole, Les Rennais bounced back from a dismal start to move within touching distance of the top six with a run of six straight wins around the turn of the year, but they would fail to capitalise and see their form take a dip once again.
Indeed, in the following seven outings between late February and mid-April, Julien Stephan's side managed just one more victory and five more points to drop all but out of the continental picture with five games remaining, before making a crucial return to winning ways away at Nantes last month thanks to goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo, Benjamin Bourigeaud and Amine Gouiri.
A key contest with Brest then followed, and Stephan's men fell short by the barest of margins in a dramatic encounter, eventually suffering a 5-4 defeat following a 96th-minute Lillian Brassier winner after they initially led 2-0 and sat level at 4-4 through a Kalimuendo brace and goals from Arthur Theate and Martin Terrier.
Now on the back of a much-needed rebound away at Metz, in which they came from 2-1 down to prevail thanks to Bourigeaud's penalty and a 93rd-minute Kalimuendo winner, Rennes head into the final two games with a four-point gap up to the top six, and they will set out to narrow that to a single point with a second straight triumph on Sunday to keep their hopes of European qualification alive.
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Their visitors, meanwhile, will bid to move out of sight of Rennes and take another major step towards sealing a top-six finish with a second consecutive three-point haul of their own when they visit Roazhon Park on Sunday.
In a pleasing Ligue 1 season, Lens moved into pole position in the fight for European spots with a strong run early in the New Year, picking up five wins from a seven-match span between late January and early March to move onto 42 points from 25 games, but they have also since seen their hopes take a hit in the midst of a dip in form.
Les Sang et Or went on to add just a single point to their tally in the following four outings, but they have since bounced back to maintain their top-six standing, firstly returning to winning ways at home to Clermont thanks to Florian Sotoca's early goal from the penalty spot.
A narrow defeat away at Marseille did then follow, but Franck Haise's side would maintain a lead over the chasing pack with another important triumph last time out, hosting Lorient and prevailing in a 2-0 win with Elye Wahi and David Costa on the scoresheet in the second half.
Thanks to their recent rebound, Lens remain sixth with two Ligue 1 games remaining, two points behind fifth-placed Nice, two ahead of seventh-placed Lyon and four ahead of the visitors, and they will bid to move within touching distance of guaranteeing a European spot with another victory at the weekend.
Team News
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Julien Stephan may opt to field an unchanged Rennes starting XI from their win away at Metz last time out, with defender Mahamadou Nagida remaining sidelined by an injury.
Arnaud Kalimuendo will lead the line with plenty of confidence, having scored four goals in his side's last three Ligue 1 outings to take his tally to 10 for the season, while Amine Gouiri is bound to join him again having also got on the scoresheet on Saturday.
Benjamin Bourigeaud and Martin Terrier offer further attacking threat from the wings in a 4-4-2 shape, while Azor Matusiwa and 18-year-old Desire Doue will continue their partnership in the engine room.
Lens are impacted by more injury concerns than Sunday's hosts, with defender Kevin Danso set to join Jhoanner Chavez, Neil El Aynaoui and Jimmy Cabot in the treatment room after being forced off at half time in their win over Lorient last Friday.
In his expected absence, Massimo Haidara will come in to join Facundo Medina and Jonathan Gradit in a back three, while David Costa and Nampalys Mendy will continue at the base of the midfield.
At the top end of the pitch, Florian Sotoca and Angelo Fulgini will likely line up either side of lone striker Elye Wahi, who has netted eight Ligue 1 goals so far this season.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Seidu, Wooh, Theate, Truffert; Bourigeaud, Doue, Matusiwa, Terrier; Kalimuendo, Gouiri
Lens possible starting lineup:
Samba; Haidara, Gradit, Medina; Frankowski, Mendy, Costa, Machado; Sotoca, Wahi, Fulgini
We say: Rennes 1-1 Lens
With both sides coming in with renewed confidence after wins last time out and vying for sixth spot, we anticipate a tight contest on Sunday and see the visitors having enough to leave with a share of the spoils to move out of sight of Rennes in the fight for European spots.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
