French football is back this weekend with a full slate of fixtures across Ligue 1. There’s plenty to get excited about up and down the top flight and as we enter the last few weeks of February, it’ll be interesting to see who can start to build some momentum ahead of the next few months. Today, we’ll be taking a look at what should be a fun encounter between Lille and Rennes.
Lille Form GuideWe are a few years removed from the heroics of Lille winning Ligue One and ever since then, they haven’t quite been able to sustain the momentum they built for themselves. That doesn’t mean they haven’t got a good base or a good squad - far from it. What it does mean, however, is that they need to start thinking outside of the box if they want to compete with the big boys.
Lille knew they’d be in for a rough ride when going on the road to battle Reims, and for 90 minutes plus stoppage time, they really had to work for all three points. In the end, though, they got it done, walking away with a massive 1-0 win.
Rennes Form GuideA strong end to the campaign ensured that Rennes finished in the top four last season, and that’s exactly what they deserved. They continue to build as a club to the point where it’s hard not to take them seriously at this level. They’re fun to watch, they have an incredible fanbase, and they have a squad that is capable of beating just about anyone in the league.
Rennes tend to do a pretty solid job when they play at home in the league but against Lorient, for whatever reason, they just couldn’t get going in front of goal. The end result of that was a 2-1 defeat, with their only goal coming as a consolation in stoppage time.
Match PredictionLille and Rennes are both exciting to watch when they get into a rhythm and we expect them to bring their very best in this one. They have dynamic options in the final third and we believe they’ll utilise them, with the end result being over 2.5 goals scored.
