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Rennes face off with Lens in a Ligue 1 match at the Roazhon Park this Sunday. With both of these sides still in contention to claim European qualification for next season, this game could well be a pivotal one.
Right now, Rennes are two places lower than their opponents this weekend, sitting in eighth. With a possible maximum of 51 points, they would need to rely on other results going their way to qualify for the UEFA Conference League, meaning their hopes are slim, if not quite dead in the water yet.
Lens, meanwhile, currently sit in the Conference League qualification spot (sixth place). A win here would all but cement the position for them, particularly as their last game of the campaign is at home to inconsistent Montpellier.
Rennes vs Lens Head-to-Head
Interestingly, Rennes have not beaten Lens at home since 2014. They have played them at the Roazhon Park three times since then, drawing once and losing on the other two occasions.
Lens are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Rennes, and have picked up three wins. Their last clash saw a 1-1 draw, with a Benjamin Bourigeaud goal for Rennes cancelling out an early strike from Deiver Machado.
Rennes form guide in Ligue 1: L-L-W-L-W
Lens form guide in Ligue 1: D-L-W-L-W
Rennes vs Lens Team News
Rennes
Rennes have no injury concerns coming into this match, but they do have two players suspended, with Martin Terrier and Azor Matusiwa set to miss out.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Martin Terrier, Azor Matusiwa
Lens
Striker Elye Wahi is suspended for the away side, with a further five players likely to miss out due to injury.
Injured: Kevin Danso, Jimmy Cabot, Neil El Aynaoui, Jhoanner Chavez
Doubtful: Lukasz Poreba
Suspended: Elye Wahi
Rennes vs Lens Predicted XI
Rennes Predicted XI (4-4-2): Steve Mandanda, Guela Doue, Warmed Omari, Arthur Theate, Adrien Truffert, Benjamin Bourigeaud, Ludovic Blas, Baptiste Santamaria, Desire Doue, Amine Gouiri, Arnaud Kalimuendo
Lens Predicted XI (3-4-3): Brice Samba, Massadio Haidara, Jonathan Gradit, Facundo Medina, Przemyslaw Frankowski, Andy Diouf, Nampalys Mendy, Deiver Machado, Florian Sotoca, Wesley Said, Angelo Fulgini
Rennes vs Lens Prediction
This should be a close game to call, as both sides are capable of winning and are still chasing European qualification for next season.
Lens may have a very slight edge despite being the away side. They looked good in their win over Lorient last weekend, and Rennes will be shorn of one of their biggest goal threats in the suspended Terrier.
Given that Rennes only scraped past struggling Metz last weekend in semi-controversial fashion, it's easy to see them finding it hard going here, too. Therefore, the prediction is a tight away win.
Prediction: Rennes 1-2 Lens
