Following defeat in their first outing of the calendar year, Rennes will be eager to dust themselves off and respond when they welcome Marseille to Roazhon Park for round 17 of Ligue 1 this weekend, hoping to reignite their campaign after a stuttering start to 2024.
Les Rennais returned from the winter break with a 3-2 loss to Nice at the Allianz Riviera, a result that saw them slip one spot down the standings to 13th with 17 points to their name - just two clear of the relegation playoff place.
Match preview
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Victory on the road has been a rare sight for Rennes this season, with their only success away from home coming in a 4-1 triumph over Bordeaux in the French Cup on December 30, and while that result briefly hinted at brighter days ahead, it proved to be a false dawn as the defeat at Nice dragged them back into familiar struggles.
That loss marked Jorge Sampaoli's third consecutive away defeat in the top flight since he took over on November 11 following the dismissal of Julien Stephan, with the Argentine yet to pick up a single point on his travels in Ligue 1 - though his fortunes at Roazhon have painted a more encouraging picture.
Since arriving in Rennes, Sampaoli has guided his side to two league victories on home turf - a ruthless 5-0 demolition of Saint-Étienne followed by a comfortable 2-0 win over Angers - with the Red and Blacks now boasting the fifth-best such record in the division, having claimed five wins, one draw, and just two losses.
Their attacking prowess has also been on display in front of their own fans, with Rennes ranking joint-fourth for goals scored at home (16) while conceding the fewest in the league (5), and they will be keen to draw on that resilience when they face a familiar foe in Marseille this weekend.
This will be the 115th top flight meeting between the sides - a fixture Rennes have contested more than any other - and while Marseille have historically held the upper hand, Les Rennais earned a 2-0 victory in their most recent encounter and will now aim to secure consecutive wins against their old rivals for the first time since achieving the feat between March and September 2016.
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The task, however, remains daunting for the hosts given Marseille's formidable form on the road this season, with the Olympians boasting the best away record in Ligue 1, having claimed seven wins from eight outings while suffering just one defeat.
Roberto De Zerbi's side enter this encounter brimming with confidence after kicking off the new year in emphatic fashion, thrashing Le Havre 5-1 at Stade Velodrome last weekend.
That victory leaves Marseille sitting second in the standings with 33 points from 16 games, though they remain seven points adrift of runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain, leaving little room for error if they harbour hopes of clinching their first title in 15 years.
Back on their favourite adventures, having won each of their last five trips across all competitions, including four in the top flight, Les Olympiens will look to continue their perfect record on the road this weekend as they set their sights on another crucial three points to keep pace at the top.
Their dominance away from home is no coincidence, with Marseille's final-third prowess setting them apart from the rest of the division, having scored 23 goals in their eight away games - an average of nearly three goals per outing - which is comfortably the best tally in the league.
However, their formidable attack will be tested against the league's best home defence this weekend, though the visitors can draw confidence from their overall success in this fixture, having emerged victorious 48 times in their previous 114 meetings.
While they have inflicted the second-most Ligue 1 defeats on Rennes - with only Monaco bettering that record - recent trips to the Roazhon have been far from straightforward, with Marseille managing just one victory in their last four visits, leaving them with a huge mountain to climb.
Team News
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French international goalkeeper Brice Samba, who joined Rennes from Lens earlier this week, could make the matchday squad, though veteran Steve Mandanda is expected to retain his place between the sticks against Marseille.
On the injury front, Alidu Seidu (ACL) remains sidelined until the end of the season, while Henrik Meister is ruled out through illness.
Marseille made their first signing of the winter window with the arrival of Luiz Felipe as a free agent in midweek, but Saturday's clash may come too soon for the defender.
The visitors will be without Geoffrey Kondogbia (calf), Faris Moumbagna (knee) and Ruben Blanco (knee), with all three players expected to return later this month, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will miss a second consecutive game as he recovers from illness.
Second-joint league top scorer Mason Greenwood, with 10 goals to his name, will be looking to get back among the goals after failing to find the net in his last two league outings.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Hateboer, Ostigard, Faye; Truffert, Matusiwa, James, Assignon; Blas, Gronbaek, Kalimuendo
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Rulli; Murillo, Balerdi, Cornelius; Henrique, Rongier, Nadir, Merlin; Rabiot, Greenwood; Maupay
We say: Rennes 1-2 Marseille
This fixture pits the league's most prolific away attack against the strongest home defence.
While both sides will aim to hold firm given their respective strengths, Marseille are favoured to edge it, having recorded five consecutive wins on their travels across all competitions.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
