Lille vs Rennes Preview – Prediction, how to watch & potential line-ups | OneFootball

One of the most exciting match-ups on this weekend’s Ligue 1 schedule sees Lille and Rennes face each other at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday afternoon.

Lille boss Paulo Fonseca could not hide his frustration following last week’s 1-0 defeat at Lyon, where his men wasted several clear-cut chances to take home all three points.

Indeed, Les Dogues’ three-match winning league run came to a halt at the Groupama Stadium, leaving them five points off the Champions League qualification race.

What better way to get back to winning ways than beating third-placed Rennes on home turf? But given the visitors’ form, that could be easier said than done.

Bruno Genesio’s team humbled mid-table Montpellier 3-0 at home last weekend to stretch their winning league streak to five matches and maintain an eight-point deficit on pacesetters Paris Saint-Germain.

However, Rennes failed to build on their scintillating domestic form in midweek Europa League action as an underwhelming 1-1 home draw with AEK Larnaca condemned them to a second-place finish in Group B.

Genesio’s decision to rest several first-team regulars backfired on him against the Cypriot side, but it may pay dividends against a Lille team they’ve failed to win against in their last six top-flight H2Hs (D3, L3).

Unlike his Rennes counterpart, Fonseca has had a week to prepare his men for the penultimate Ligue 1 round ahead of the upcoming World Cup break.

Without the distraction of European football after last season’s sub-par 10th-placed finish, Lille are able to keep their undivided attention on domestic proceedings.

Match Preview

Lille

A relatively sparse fixture schedule has helped Lille re-establish themselves as legitimate European hopefuls, mainly due to their impressive home record.

Les Dogues have won each of their last three Ligue 1 outings on home turf, accounting for their best winning league streak at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy since the glory days of Christophe Galtier.

They should be reasonably confident about keeping their stellar home form intact, considering they have only lost one of their last 46 home meetings with Rennes in Ligue 1 (W26, D17).

Rennes

If there was a time for Rennes to defy their humiliating top-flight record at Lille, it’s now. Genesio’s men are flying in Ligue 1 after putting together nine unbeaten league games (W7, D2).

They have won their last two away league matches despite conceding on each occasion and can make it three on the trot on hostile turf for the first time since January 2020.

On top of that, Les Rennais have netted a whopping 76 goals in Ligue 1 in 2022, with only three sides in Europe’s top-five leagues beating their impressive tally.

Lille vs Rennes Potential Line-ups

Lille (4-2-3-1): Lucas Chevalier; Edon Zedadka, Tiago Djalo, Jose Fonte, Bafode Diakite; Andre Gomes, Benjamin Andre; Adam Ounas, Remy Cabella, Jonathan Bamba; Jonathan David.

Rennes (4-4-2): Steve Mandanda; Hamari Traore, Christopher Wooh, Arthur Theate, Adrien Truffert; Benjamin Bourigeaud, Lovro Majer, Xeka, Jeremy Doku; Arnaud Kalimuendo, Amine Gouiri.

How to Watch?

Lille vs Rennes, coupled with all other Ligue 1 fixtures, is available to watch online via Ligue 1 live streams.

Lille vs Rennes Prediction

Both sides have shown several times they can pack a punch on their day, and we back them to put their wealthy attacking potential on display.

While we expect both teams to score, it’s hard not to give Rennes a slight upper hand.

Lille 1-2 Rennes