Preview: Rennes vs Marseille - prediction, team news, lineups

Stade Rennais welcome Olympique Marseille to Roazhon Park on Friday evening for gameweek four of the 2026-27 Ligue 1 campaign.

Les Rouge et Noir scored two early goals to claim a 2-1 win away at Angers in their previous league match, while L’OM fell to a gutting 3-2 home defeat against Paris FC.

Match preview

After booking their place in European football for the first time in three years last season, finishing sixth in the league table with 59 points, Rennes will be extremely happy with their start to the latest Ligue 1 campaign.

Although they were two goals to the good, Franck Haise’s men picked up a respectable point at home to Paris Saint-Germain on the opening weekend, which they have since added to with consecutive league victories against both Le Mans and Angers.

Sat fifth in the Ligue 1 table with seven points from their opening three fixtures and being one of just five teams yet to endure defeat, Les Rouge et Noir will certainly be looking to maintain their hot streak as they head into a more difficult run of fixtures, facing Marseille, Olympique Lyon and Paris FC within their next four league outings.

Despite scoring seven league goals so far, a tally only bettered by Strasbourg, if Rennes are to compete amongst the best they will certainly have to rectify their leaky defence though, with Haise’s side already conceding five this season.

However, having claimed victory in three of their previous four matches against Marseille at Roazhon Park, the most recent of which being a 1-0 victory at the beginning of last season, Les Rouge et Noir will be confident that they can build on their promising start to the campaign and push into the division’s UEFA Champions League places.

Despite winning each of their last two games of the season, Marseille suffered an agonising end to their 2025-26 Ligue 1 campaign, finishing just one point behind Lyon who secured the final French ticket to Europe’s top competition.

After earning qualification in three of the prior four seasons, Les Olympiens will certainly be wanting to bounce back from their late Champions League omission, but having lost several of their most important players in the summer transfer window, the nine-time champions are potentially at risk of slipping even further from the top four.

Bruno Genesio’s side could be forgiven for ignoring those worries having thumped Strasbourg 4-0 on the opening weekend, however after enduring defeat in each of their following two fixtures, Marseille now find themselves dwindling in the bottom half of the table and in need of some inspiration.

Facing a monumental clash with Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade Veledrome next Sunday just days after their Europa League opener away to Besiktas, L’OM will be eyeing up a return to form by beating Rennes this week and climbing towards the summit of the league table.

Already finding themselves trailing their hosts by four points, Genesio’s men are certainly not favourites for victory on Friday evening, but having lost just one of their latest five games against Rennes, the visitors are by no means strangers to overcoming Les Rouge et Noir.

Rennes Ligue 1 form:

Marseille Ligue 1 form:

Team News

Having missed last week’s 2-1 triumph over Angers to attend the birth of his child, Rennes defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal is expected to return to the backline for Friday’s fixture, likely pairing new signing Charlie Cresswell in the centre.

Not appearing for Les Rouge et Noir since May, it remains to be seen when Djaoui Cisse will make a return to the matchday squad.

However, the hosts will be glad to have welcomed goalkeeper Brice Samba back to the side last week, after the 32-year-old missed the clash with Le Mans due to a minor muscle injury.

With three goals in as many games to start the Ligue 1 campaign, Haise will be hoping that Esteban Lepaul can continue his great form and keep Rennes fighting towards the top of the league table.

After picking up a thigh injury against Monaco a fortnight ago, Marseille defender Geoffrey Kondogbia looks likely to be out until October, while Nigerian midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi is sidelined with a knee issue sustained when facing Les Monegasques too.

On a more positive note, Les Olympiens welcomed back Igor Paixo to the squad last week after the 26-year-old Brazilian striker missed the prior match with a thigh problem.

Netting four of the club’s six strikes so far this season, Algerian forward Amine Gouiri is undoubtedly Marseille’s dangerman and looks to have taken on the output that was left by the recently departed Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Rennes possible starting lineup:

Samba; Frankowski, Cresswell, Ait Boudlal, Merlin; Rongier; Bias, Szymanski, Camara, Tamari; Lepaul

Marseille possible starting lineup:

De Lange; Weah, Egan-Riley, Aguerd, Emerson; Hojbjerg; Harit, Abdelli, Gomes, Paixo; Gouiri

We say: Rennes 3-1 Marseille

Following their difficult start to the season, Marseille will be desperate to claim all three points on Friday evening before their schedule ramps up with the beginning of the European campaign.

However, it is difficult to ignore Rennes' recent form and having failed to lose any of their previous six competitive matches at Roazhon Park, we are backing the hosts to come out on top once again in gameweek four.

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