Rennes vs Nantes

Nantes resume their Ligue 1 campaign after a weekend break, heading to Roazhon Park to take on Rennes in Friday’s opening match.

Antoine Kombouare was frustrated by the postponement of Nantes’ match against Paris Saint-Germain last weekend, while Rennes surged forward with a dominant win over one of Nantes’ relegation competitors.

Rennes delivered their standout performance of the season, demolishing Le Havre 5-1, which pushed them eight points clear of the relegation zone and closer to a top-half finish. Their 5-0 thrashing of Saint-Etienne in November was impressive, but last week’s away victory against a full-strength Le Havre side, with a 3-0 lead within 15 minutes, was even more remarkable.

Since Habib Beye took charge and significant investments were made in the January transfer window, Rennes have secured six victories in 10 matches, narrowing the gap to Lens in the top half to just seven points with five games remaining. Relegation concerns, which lingered until recently, have faded.

Sitting 11th, Rennes aim to maintain their streak of finishing no lower than 10th for over a decade, motivating them to keep pushing. However, tough fixtures against Lyon, Nice, and Marseille loom in their final five games, making this home match against Nantes crucial.

Rennes have won their last six home games against Nantes at Roazhon Park, with Nantes’ last victory there dating back to 2013. Nantes did, however, triumph in the reverse fixture in December during Jorge Sampaoli’s troubled tenure at Rennes.

Nantes have been idle for two weeks due to the controversial postponement of their PSG match, rescheduled to allow the newly crowned champions to prepare for their Champions League clash with Aston Villa. Nantes had hoped to capitalize on potential PSG squad rotation, but that game is now set for Tuesday, with PSG refocusing on domestic competition.

Things got even more tense for Nantes last weekend, as both Reims and Angers secured wins, narrowing the gap beneath them. However, Rennes offered some relief by comfortably beating Le Havre, who remain three points behind Nantes in the relegation playoff spot.

On paper, Nantes have a decent shot at survival. Aside from a tough matchup against PSG, their remaining five fixtures are all against teams in the bottom half of the table — including a final-day clash with basement side Montpellier.

Their most recent match was a Friday night trip to Nice, where they pulled off an unexpected win. Head coach Antoine Kombouaré will be hoping for another surprise result, which could temporarily lift them six points clear of the relegation zone.