Rennes vs Reims Predictions

Rennes made it seven games without a win on Thursday as they threw away their 1-0 lead to eventually lose 2-1 to Lazio. Jérémy Morel opened the scoring for Rennes but it was another case of them throwing away a lead as they lost in Rome. Rennes have led in four of their last seven games without being able to win any of them. 39-year-old coach Julien Stéphan enjoyed a great start to the season with three consecutive wins but he is now begging for a victory as his side look to get out of this slump. 

Unfortunately for Rennes, it doesn’t take an expert to work out why they have been losing, as they have been putting together some of the worst defensive and offensive numbers in the league this season. Rennes are bottom for xG in Ligue 1 so far as they have been able to only muster up chances equalling 6.25. They only scored against Lazio via a set piece and against Marseille and Nantes in the league they have barely looked threatening. They have also kept just one clean sheet in their last seven matches which never bodes well with a team that has trouble scoring. 

Reims will be looking at this match as a real opportunity to get back to winning ways as they slumped to defeat last week. Reims lost 2-1 to bottom-of-the-table Dijon last week as the Mustards picked up their first three points of the season. It was a strange result for Reims as they had just come off the back of a famous win over PSG at the Parc des Princes so it will be interesting to see how they readjust to this match-up with Rennes. 

Apart from their unexpected defeat to Dijon, Reims have been incredibly solid at the back this season with just four goals conceded making them equal with PSG for best defence in Ligue 1. However, Reims are also drawn third for the least goals scored this season. As is usually the case, Reims’ focus on defence has held them back in the final third and as a result they have drawn a blank in four of their last seven games. 

Reims should go into this match with some confidence as they beat Rennes twice last season but we’re backing a much more even affair this time round. Rennes have generally been very good when playing at home under Julien Stéphan as they have lost just three of their last 23 games at Roazhon Park. Reims have been rather mixed when on the road with two defeats and two wins in their last four away games, so we’re backing this one to end as a draw. Both teams have scored in Rennes’ last seven home matches so we’re expecting this one to end 1-1.