Ligue 1: Big Chance for PSG in Brittany

Rennes vs Paris Saint-Germain

Match of the weekend in France is Ligue 1: Rennes vs Paris Saint-Germain at the Roazhon Park in Brittany, northern France, and the league champions have the cards stacked in their favour.

PSG’s World Cup stars are now ready to go and a full strength side will probably have too much for their hosts who have absentees through suspension, an injured star and players courted by big spending clubs in the UK. At the moment Rennes are in fourth place and 13 points behind the leaders and they come into the game on the back of a 2-1 defeat away to Clermont while PSG beat Angers 2-0. 

PSG are at SBOTOP odds of 1.51 to win this clash and the overwhelming evidence suggests that will be the outcome.

Talking Points

Mbappe set to return alongside Messi

World Cup winner Lionel Messi made his return to domestic action in PSG’s victory over Angers last week and two more big players are ready to rejoin the squad after missing out on that big game. Morocco star Achraf Hakimi is back in training and he has been joined by World Cup Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe. And if these three players line up alongside Neymar then Rennes will have plenty to think about! 

Without their biggest stars PSG stumbled a little on their return. PSG’s home match against Strasbourg was a struggle as Mbappe scored a 96^th minute winner and defeat to Lens in the New Year was a reality check. But Messi’s masterclass against Angers got the favourites back on track as he scored a sublime second goal and later produced some spectacular close control as the Angers defenders chased shadows. After winning the World Cup the Argentine skipper seems to have lost a great weight from his shoulders, which is handy when you’re 35 years old! He now has eight goals and ten assists and the second half of the campaign promises to produce yet more.  

Rennes are depleted and distracted  

Martin Terrier, with nine goals from 17 games, has been Rennes star player but he was stretchered off during the recent victory over Nice with a cruciate ligament injury and will be out for some time. That is a major blow for the hosts but there was more bad news last week. Midfield lynchpin Benjamin Bourigeaud will be missing against PSG  after picking up a red card in the game against Clermont and so will defender Warmed Omari who also took an early bath.    

And of the players who are fit and available, it isn’t easy to predict who will still be at Stade Rennes by the end of the January transfer window. Croatian playmaker Lovro Majer is a target for Newcastle United, and when England’s richest club comes calling it is often hard to resist. The club values Majer at 60m Euros which is well within the Magpies’ reach, though they may have competition from Real Madrid and Atletico.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Fulham are flying high in seventh place and they are looking to strengthen, with an eye on Rennes skipper Hamari Traore. The 30 year old defender is out of contract in the summer and the club may be keen to cash in, though Traore has started all but one Ligue 1 match this season. Then there is highly rated 20 year old winger Jeremy Doku who is being watched by Southampton, but Rennes will be reluctant to sell.

The interest in Stade Rennes’ players must be unsettling to an already depleted team.             

History

These teams have met 60 times since 1994 and while PSG have had the better of the head to head Rennes vs Paris Saint-Germain results it has not been all one way traffic. The Parisiens have won 30 to Rennes’ 19 and there have been 11 draws. Rennes have won two and drawn one of their last three home games against PSG, though they lost the last meeting, a 1-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes last season.

In terms of recent form Rennes have won four and lost two of the last six games while PSG have won five and lost one.

The hosts have been superb on home soil this term, winning eight and losing one, while PSG have won seven, drawn one and lost one away from home.

The Rennes vs Paris Saint-Germain betting odds reckon this one is going to the visitors.      

Betting Tip

At odds of 5.03 to win and 4.04 to Draw the hosts aren’t out of this game before they start and the Double Chance at a price of 2.31 will be worth a closer look for Rennes fans.

But I believe there are too many problems for Rennes to cope with in their own squad before they even start to worry about PSG; and I can only see this game going one way.

 

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