Preview:Le Havre vs Rennes - prediction, team news, lineups

Hoping to climb away from the Ligue 1 relegation zone, Le Havre will welcome European-hopefuls Rennes to Stade Oceane on Sunday.

Le Club Doyen are looking for their first win in four matches, while Les Rouge et Noirs will be aiming to extend their unbeaten streak to five games this weekend.

Match preview

Didier Digard's Le Havre secured safety in the top tier last season by the narrowest of margins, finishing just one point above Reims, who were relegated after losing their playoff to Metz.

In 2025-26, Le Club Doyen kicked off their campaign with back-to-back defeats against Monaco and Lens, two results that had fans immediately fearing for their club's survival chances.

However, Digard's side responded to those losses with an impressive 3-1 victory over Nice, and after losing only one of their four most recent games ahead of this clash, the outlook at Stade Oceane is somewhat more positive.

That being said, while Le Havre avoided defeat in both of their past two matches, they will be disappointed with the fact that they dropped four points against two of Ligue 1's bottom six, with particular frustration saved for their 0-0 draw with 18th-placed Metz last weekend.

The stalemate kept Le Club Doyen clear of the drop zone but has left them 15th in the table, where their tally of five points means that they are level with 16th-placed Nantes and 17th-placed Angers SCO.

A second triumph of the season would be enough to shoot the hosts up to 10th above Brest in a best-case scenario, though given that they have won just one of their last six top-flight home fixtures - losing three and drawing two - they will need to defy their recent record to earn it.

Meanwhile, Habib Beye's Rennes were beaten 19 times during the 2024-25 league campaign, but their newfound resilience this term has seen them lose only once so far.

Last Sunday, Les Rouge et Noirs mirrored their opponents by playing out a goalless draw, taking one point from a clash against European candidates Lens at Roazhon Park.

That result brought Beye's current undefeated run to four matches, but while their ability to avoid losing is commendable, the manager will be keen to take the next step considering that his team have won just once in that stretch - a 3-1 triumph against title-chasing Lyon on September 14.

Going into this weekend's showdown, Les Rennais are ninth in Ligue 1, and their nine-point total puts them one behind sixth-placed Lille and three behind Strasbourg, Monaco and third-placed Marseille in the Champions League spots.

Knowing that victory could put Rennes in position to qualify for UEFA competition, fans of the visitors will be concerned that the team have failed to win any of their last six away league games, including two draws and one loss on the road in 2025-26.

Le Havre Ligue 1 form:

Rennes Ligue 1 form:

Team News

Le Havre manager Digard has a relatively fit squad to choose from for this clash, though midfielder Yassine Kechta is a doubt after picking up a knock and sitting out against Metz, while striker Mbwana Samatta could also be sidelined after being substituted off with a muscle issue last weekend.

If the duo are unavailable, then Reda Khadra may start at centre-forward while Fode Doucoure joins the XI on the right flank, supporting the frontman along with left-winger Issa Soumare.

As for Rennes, they will be missing centre-backs Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and Anthony Rouault, the former with a groin injury and the latter for personal reasons.

In their absence, Alidu Seidu and Jeremy Jacquet could be joined by Lilian Brassier in a defensive trio, while wing-backs Ludovic Blas and Quentin Merlin provide width.

Elsewhere, midfielder Glen Kamara is not expected to be back in action until later this month, though Mahdi Camara, Djaoui Cisse, and Seko Fofana should be ready to start in the centre of the park on Sunday.

Le Havre possible starting lineup:

Diaw; Nego, Kinkoue, Lloris, Zouaoui; Ebonog, Seko, Toure; Doucoure, Khadra, Soumare

Rennes possible starting lineup:

Samba; Seidu, Jacquet, Brassier; Blas, Camara, Cisse, Fofana, Merlin; Embolo, Lepaul

We say: Le Havre 1-1 Rennes

Le Havre have struggled overall this season, but with only one defeat from their last four games, they could take another point this weekend.

Rennes have been surprisingly resilient so far this term, though they have found wins difficult to come by and may have to settle for a draw on Sunday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.