Rennes will aim to consolidate their podium position in the Ligue 1 table when they travel to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy to face fellow European hopefuls Lille on Sunday afternoon.
Les Dogues suffered a 1-0 defeat to Lyon in their most recent match, while Bruno Genesio's side relinquished top spot in their Europa League group after a 1-1 draw with Larnaca.
Match preview
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A combination of the woodwork and Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes prevented Paulo Fonseca's Lille from finding the back of the net at the Groupama Stadium last week, as Jonathan David lost the striker's supremacy battle to a reborn Alexandre Lacazette.
The ex-Arsenal man latched onto a low cross from Nicolas Tagliafico to tap home the only goal of the game in the 74th minute last weekend - his eighth of the season - and Les Dogues had no response in their locker as their continental aspirations took a hit.
Having seen their three-game winning run come to an end at the hands of Lyon, Lille enter this weekend's fixtures lying in seventh in the table - five points adrift of the Champions League places but just two shy of Marseille in the Europa Conference League spot.
A season without European football would seemingly be the perfect tonic for Lille to restore order domestically, but Les Dogues' tally of 22 goals conceded is the most out of all the top-half sides, and only Angers (16) have shipped more at home than Lille's 14.
On a brighter note, Fonseca's side are yet to suffer two successive Ligue 1 defeats this term and have won their last three at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy versus Toulouse, Lens and Monaco - none of whom are pushovers by any stretch - and European fatigue is sure to work against Rennes here.
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Heading into the final matchday in Europa League Group B level on points and head-to-head points with Fenerbahce, Rennes needed to get the job done against Larnaca to give themselves the best possible chance of topping the group and advancing to the last 16.
Fenerbahce did what they needed to do against Dynamo Kiev, but Bruno Genesio's side were held to a 1-1 draw by Larnaca, which forced them to accept second place and a daunting playoff tie with one of the teams dropping down from the Champions League.
Prior to their European disappointment, Les Rouges et Noir extended their winning streak in Ligue 1 to five games with a convincing 3-0 success over Montpellier HSC, which has seen them usurp surprise package Lorient into the podium spots - currently third but only ahead of Les Merlus on goal difference.
While that draw with Larnaca was undoubtedly two points lost rather than one point gained, Rennes have now gone 15 games without defeat in all competitions as Genesio works his attacking magic, with the visitors now scoring in 18 successive matches since a 1-0 loss to Lorient on the opening day of the season.
Remarkably, both teams have scored in each of Rennes' last 13 away games in Ligue 1, so profligacy should not be on the agenda at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, and Lille have gone six games without defeat in this fixture since a 3-1 loss at Roazhon Park in May 2019.
Team News
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Lille's treatment room has been solely occupied by Alan Virginius and his unspecified issue in recent weeks, but he now has company after Gabriel Gudmundsson picked up a groin injury and Ismaily was withdrawn at half time against Lyon.
Fonseca will therefore be forced into a slight tactical tweak, with either Bafode Diakite or Akim Zedadka - a right-back by trade - filling in on the left until after the World Cup, but the hosting manager has few concerns further up the field.
Jonathan Bamba and Adam Ounas had to make do with spots on the bench last week after missing portions of training, but the pair will expect to come in for Angel Gomes and Timothy Weah from the first whistle this week.
As for Rennes, Baptiste Santamaria remains sidelined with an ankle injury that will likely keep him out until the New Year, while Warmed Omari's groin injury will also render him unavailable.
Martin Terrier is also understood to have picked up a hamstring problem in the Europa League, so Jeremy Doku could now come in for a start out wide.
Xeka will be back in the fold after being ineligible to take part in the draw with Larnaca, and Genesio will be expected to make a number of alterations from Thursday's game, starting with goalscorer Abline dropping out for the returning Amine Gouiri.
Steve Mandanda, Christopher Wooh, Arthur Theate and Hamari Traore are all set to return to the backline, and a well-rested Xeka could take the place of Flavien Tait in the engine room against his former club.
Lille possible starting lineup:
Chevalier; Zedadka, Djalo, Fonte, Diakite; Andre Gomes, Andre; Ounas, Cabella, Bamba; David
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Traore, Wooh, Theate, Truffert; Bourigeaud, Majer, Xeka, Doku; Kalimuendo, Gouiri
We say: Lille 1-1 Rennes
Taking advantage of Lille's depleted left-hand side should be the first port of call for Rennes this weekend, and Genesio will be desperate to see a reaction from his rotated side after their Europa League setback.
The visitors' ongoing defensive issues on the road spells success for Lille's main man David, and the hosts will be the much fresher of the two sides, so we can only envisage this one ending all square.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
