Aiming to bounce back from a slow start to the Ligue 1 season and a midweek Champions League defeat, Paris Saint-Germain will travel to take on Rennes on Sunday in the eighth round of league games.
Les Parisiens sit fifth in the Ligue 1 table having managed 12 points from their opening seven outings, while their visitors sit just a single point and place behind following a home victory last weekend.
Match preview
© Reuters
Rennes head into the weekend looking to preserve one of Ligue 1's two remaining unbeaten records, albeit having only amassed 11 points in their seven league matches thus far with two victories and five draws coming from those games.
Aiming to build on last season's fourth-placed finish, Bruno Genesio's side began in style with a 5-1 thrashing of Metz, but they then had to settle for five consecutive draws domestically, firstly sharing the spoils with Lens, Le Havre and Brest prior to the international break at the beginning of last month.
On their return to action, Les Rouge et Noirs hosted Lille and came from 2-0 down to take a point from a 2-2 draw, thanks to Ibrahim Salah's 89th-minute leveller, before beating Maccabi Haifa in their Europa League group-stage opener and playing out a goalless stalemate away at Montpellier in the next league outing.
They would then manage a second win of the season in the French top flight at the seventh attempt last weekend, beating Nantes 3-1 on home turf thanks to goals from Benjamin Bourigeaud, Desire Doue and Arnaud Kalimuendo, before most recently travelling to Spain to take on Villarreal in a tough Europa League meeting on Thursday and leaving empty-handed as Alexander Sorloth's first-half goal made the only difference between the sides.
Now turning their focus back to their Ligue 1 pursuits, Rennes will bid to extend their unbeaten start to eight matches at the weekend and add a third notch to their wins column, albeit in a particularly tough test against the defending champions.
© Reuters
After winning Ligue 1 for the fifth time in the last six seasons last time around and seeing Luis Enrique take over as manager over the summer, Paris Saint-Germain set out for another dominant campaign in France's top flight this term, but they have experienced an uncharacteristically slow start thus far.
The capital side head into the weekend's trip with 12 points from their seven games so far, having only managed three victories in that time, with two of those coming consecutively against Lens and Lyon prior to the international break in September, taking them onto eight points from four fixtures.
Les Parisiens returned to action at home to Nice in the middle of last month, but they were unable to make it three wins on the bounce, instead falling to a 3-2 defeat at the Parc des Princes, before they bounced back in style, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in their Champions League curtain-raiser thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi, before the latter was again on the scoresheet alongside a Randal Kolo Muani goal and Goncalo Ramos's brace in a 4-0 thrashing of Marseille in their return to Ligue 1 action.
Seeking to build on that result and put a winning run together to return to the top of the league, Enrique's men travelled to take on Clermont Foot last weekend and had to settle for a disappointing point from a goalless draw, before most recently meeting Newcastle United in England on Wednesday and suffering a 4-1 beating with Lucas Hernandez's 56th-minute goal being nothing more than a consolation as Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar all scored for their hosts.
Now left wounded from that heavy defeat and their underwhelming start in Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain will look to bounce back at the weekend and return to winning ways on their travels, with their sights set on leaders Monaco and Brest, both of whom sit just two points better off after seven outings.
Team News
© Reuters
After making several rotations for the Europa League clash with Villarreal, Bruno Genesio should revert to a similar Rennes starting XI from their 3-1 beating of Nantes last week, albeit with Desire Doue and Arnaud Kalimuendo both having claims to feature from the outset after scoring off the bench in that triumph.
In their usual 4-2-3-1 shape, Kalimuendo will bid to lead the line after netting his second Ligue 1 goal of the term last time out, while Ludovic Blas, Fabian Rieder and Amine Gouiri should all keep their places in a supporting trio behind the lone frontman.
Veteran Nemanja Matic could again join Benjamin Bourigeaud at the base of the midfield, while Warmed Omari and Arthur Theate will continue their partnership in the middle of a back four.
Pasir Saint-Germain head into Sunday's trip with several selection concerns to contend with, as Lee Kang-In is away on international duty, while Nuno Mendes, Presnel Kimpembe and Marco Asensio are all expected to remain sidelined by injuries.
After trying several systems recently, Enrique is likely to line Les Parisiens up in a 3-4-3 shape at the weekend, and Kylian Mbappe will certainly play a key role in attack having already netted seven goals in six Ligue 1 appearances so far this term, while Ousmane Dembele should keep his place on the right wing, leaving one spot for summer signings Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos to battle for.
Manuel Ugarte should return to the midfield from the start, alongside either Vitinha or Fabian Ruiz, while in the absence of Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez, Marquinhos and Milan Skriniar will likely line up in a back three, albeit with Nordi Mukiele and Danilo Pereira also competing for a starting berth at the back.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Assignon, Omari, Theate, Truffert; Bourigeaud, Matic; Blas, Rieder, Gouiri; Kalimuendo
Paris Saint-Germain possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Skriniar, Marquinhos, Hernandez; Hakimi, Ruiz, Ugarte, Barcola; Dembele, Muani, Mbappe
We say: Rennes 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain are yet to truly kick into gear in Ligue 1 this term, while Saturday will certainly present a tough term against unbeaten opposition, but Enrique's men should still have enough quality to make a return to winning ways on their travels in what will be a tight contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Sam Varley
