Rennes vs Reims

Rennes and Reims square off in a match between two teams battling at the bottom of the standings on Friday night to kick off the Ligue 1 weekend at Roazhon Park.

These two are under new management after their respective declines in the rankings, and few teams in Ligue 1 have been as bad as they have been in 2025.

Rennes is suffering its worst season since 2001–02, when they had only 20 points at this juncture, after only 23 points from their first 22 Ligue 1 games.

The Rennes team's ability to avoid relegation and ultimately finish in 12th place will serve as motivation for the present crop, as this costlyly formed team already appears to be on the verge of escaping danger.

Despite heavy spending, Rennes suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Lille last weekend, largely due to a red card shown to Christopher Wooh, which allowed Lille to secure a late victory. This loss marks Rennes' third home defeat in 2025, and another loss here would mean they have lost four of their first five home games in a calendar year for the first time since 1987. New manager Habib Beye began his tenure with two wins against Strasbourg and Saint-Etienne, moving Rennes five points clear of the relegation playoff spot. However, the team must avoid reverting to the poor form seen under former manager Jorge Sampaoli.

Adding to their concerns, Reims have historically been a challenging opponent for Rennes. Since 2000, Rennes have lost more than half of their Ligue 1 meetings with Reims (11 out of 21 matches), with only Bastia causing them a higher proportion of defeats (58%). Despite this, Rennes have managed to beat Reims in consecutive seasons at Roazhon Park, giving them a chance to secure three straight home wins against Reims for the first time this century.

Reims, who start the weekend one point and one place below Rennes, have been in poor form recently, leading to the dismissal of manager Luka Elsner at the start of the month. Their decline in the standings has added further intrigue to this upcoming clash.

Despite heavy spending, Rennes suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Lille last weekend, largely due to a red card shown to Christopher Wooh, which allowed Lille to secure a late victory. This loss marks Rennes' third home defeat in 2025, and another loss here would mean they have lost four of their first five home games in a calendar year for the first time since 1987.

New manager Habib Beye began his tenure with two wins against Strasbourg and Saint-Etienne, moving Rennes five points clear of the relegation playoff spot. However, the team must avoid reverting to the poor form seen under former manager Jorge Sampaoli.

Adding to their concerns, Reims have historically been a challenging opponent for Rennes. Since 2000, Rennes have lost more than half of their Ligue 1 meetings with Reims (11 out of 21 matches), with only Bastia causing them a higher proportion of defeats (58%).

Despite this, Rennes have managed to beat Reims in consecutive seasons at Roazhon Park, giving them a chance to secure three straight home wins against Reims for the first time this century.

Reims, who start the weekend one point and one place below Rennes, have been in poor form recently, leading to the dismissal of manager Luka Elsner at the start of the month. Their decline in the standings has added further intrigue to this upcoming clash.