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Lyon will face off with Rennes in a key Ligue 1 game at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday (March 13).
Lyon are currently ninth in the league table, while Rennes are flying high in fourth place. So which of these two teams will come away with three points this weekend?
Lyon vs Rennes Head-to-Head
Going by their usual standards, it’s difficult not to consider Lyon’s 2021-22 campaign disappointing thus far. They are in ninth place but are only three points away from a European qualification spot.
They have been in better form in 2022 than they were in the first half of the season. Lyon have won five of their nine league games, including last weekend’s 1-4 victory at Lorient.
However, losses to Monaco and Lille suggest they’re not quite firing like they once did. Their hopes of glory may lie in the Europa League, where they won 1-0 at FC Porto in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie on Wednesday.
Rennes, meanwhile, were beaten 2-0 at Leicester City in the first leg of their Europa Conference League tie this week. However, in Ligue 1, their form has been better, especially in recent weeks.
They’re currently riding a three-match winning streak, and have scored ten goals in these games. The likes of Gaetan Laborde (3) and Martin Terrier (2) have got on the scoresheet.
However, they’ve also lost three league games in 2022 and have only drawn nine times this season. That means the likelihood of this weekend’s game ending with honours even is a possibility.
The last time these sides faced off, Rennes won 4-1, with goals from Laborde, Hamari Traore and Adrien Truffert (two).
Lyon form guide (across competitions, most recent game first): W-L-D-W-L.
Rennes form guide (across competitions, most recent game first): L-W-W-W-L.
Lyon vs Rennes Team News
Lyon
Four players look set to miss out on this one for Lyon with injuries, but no players are suspended.
Injured: Rayan Cherki, Sinaly Diomande, Jerome Boateng, Lenny Pintor
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None.
Rennes
Rennes have two injury casualties and a few on the doubtful list.
Injured: Loic Bade, Kamaldeen Sulemana
Doubtful: Lesley Ugochukwu, Romain Salin, Jeremy Gelin.
Suspended: None.
Lyon vs Rennes Predicted XI
Lyon (4-2-3-1): Anthony Lopes, Leo Dubois, Thiago Mendes, Jason Denayer, Emerson Palmieri, Maxence Caqueret, Houssem Aouar, Romain Faivre, Lucas Pacqueta, Karl Toko Ekambi, Moussa Dembele
Rennes (4-3-3): Alfred Gomis, Hamari Traore, Warmed Omari, Nayef Aguerd, Adrien Truffert, Baptiste Santamaria, Jonas Martin, Lovro Majer, Benjamin Bourigeaud, Gaetan Laborde, Martin Terrier
Lyon vs Rennes Prediction
This should be a close game to call between two of Ligue 1’s better sides, even if Lyon’s patchy form suggests they aren’t currently among the competition’s elite.
Rennes’ league form has been far better than Lyon’s. However, they also played a tough game against Leicester on Thursday, and may well come into this one a tad fatigued.
The prediction, therefore, is a tight home win for Lyon as they seek to climb up the points table.
Prediction: Lyon 2-1 Rennes
