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

Rennes will attempt to respond positively after a painful defeat when they welcome Ligue 1’s most troubled side, FC Metz, to Roazhon Park on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts remain firmly focused on their push for European qualification in Ligue 1, while the visitors arrive facing the increasingly bleak prospect of relegation.

Match preview

Rennes entered last weekend in excellent form, having recorded four consecutive league victories, including an emphatic 4-0 triumph over OGC Nice and an impressive 3-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain that firmly underlined their European ambitions.

However, Franck Haise’s side suffered a setback in their most recent outing, falling to a 2-1 home defeat against Lille OSC, as goals from Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Hakon Haraldsson put Lille in control, and although Esteban Lepaul pulled one back after the break, they were unable to complete the comeback.

The Bretons currently occupy seventh place in the Ligue 1 table with 43 points from 26 matches, having recorded 12 wins, seven draws and seven defeats, sitting just outside the European positions, trailing AS Monaco – who currently hold the final continental qualification spot – only on goal difference.

As a result, Rennes will be eager to return to winning ways immediately, and there is considerable reason for optimism, as they have won each of their last eight league meetings against Metz, their longest winning streak against a single opponent in Ligue 1.

Moreover, Rennes have claimed victory in six of their last seven league matches against teams starting the round in the bottom half of the table, underlining their ability to dispatch struggling sides.

Metz, meanwhile, arrive in Brittany enduring a deeply troubling campaign, with their return to Ligue 2 after just one season in the top flight looking increasingly inevitable.

Les Grenats sit bottom of the standings with only 13 points from 26 matches, having managed just three wins, four draws and 19 defeats – with the gap to safety having widened steadily throughout the season, and they now find themselves 14 points adrift of survival.

The Lorraine side are without a win in their last 11 matches across all competitions, while their last league victory came back in November, collecting just two draws while suffering 12 defeats in a run spanning 14 Ligue 1 fixtures.

Their most recent outing was a chaotic 4-3 home loss to Toulouse FC – despite goals from Nathan Mbala, Koffi Kouao and Giorgi Abuashvili bringing Metz level at 3-3, a stoppage-time strike from Mario Sauer sealed a cruel defeat.

That result also highlighted the defensive problems that have plagued Metz throughout the campaign, having conceded 60 league goals – the highest total across Europe’s top five leagues – while also suffering a league-high 11 away defeats this season.

Rennes Ligue 1 form:

Metz Ligue 1 form:

Team News

Rennes head into this match with relatively few selection concerns, with defender Jeremy Jacquet – who is set to join Liverpool FC in the summer – still sidelined after undergoing shoulder surgery that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season.

Sebastian Szymanski and Przemyslaw Frankowski both returned from injury last time out, appearing from the bench in the defeat to Lille.

Much of the attacking responsibility will again fall on Lepaul, who scored his 14th league goal of the campaign in that match and currently sits just one strike behind the division’s leading scorer.

Metz, meanwhile, must cope without Benjamin Stambouli, who is sidelined with a rib fracture, while Joseph Mangondo remains unavailable due to a knee injury.

They are joined on the treatment table by Cleo Melieres and Boubacar Traore, while Giorgi Kvilitaia is also a doubt after missing the previous fixture.

Rennes possible starting lineup:

Samba; Nagida, Rouault, Brassier, Merlin; Szymanski, Rongier, Camara; Tamari, Lepaul, Nordin

Metz possible starting lineup:

Fischer; Kouao, S. Sane, Mboula, Colin; Gbamin, Hein; Sarr, Deminguet, Tsitaishvili; Diallo

We say: Rennes 3-0 Metz

Rennes will be desperate to respond after their Lille defeat, and they have the firepower to make Metz's porous defence pay from the first whistle.

Metz have conceded the most this season, and facing a Rennes attack in full flight at Roazhon Park, their chances of keeping that number down are slim.

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