Soccer France Ligue 1 Prediction

Rennes vs Monaco - Match Preview

⚽ 27 May 2023 - 19:00 GMT +0

Rennes is gathering momentum in the race to secure a top-four Ligue 1 place after they followed up their 4-0 demolition of Troyes here two weeks ago with a 5-0 hammering on the road against another basement dweller in Ajaccio. They’re pushing hard to sneak into the UEFA Europa League spot, highlighted perhaps no better by the fact their combined tally of nine goals from those two recent outings is as many as they managed in their six league games prior!

They finished the last round sixth, just three points behind visitors Monaco in fourth, and Rennes’ players will be all too aware of what a win would mean here. Thanks to their superior goal difference, victory here would see them leapfrog Monaco in the table and possibly go into the last round inside the top four. That’ll also depend on what happens in fifth-placed Lille’s contest against Nantes, however.

Monaco knows what’s on the line, but should be confident of keeping Rennes at arm's length given their four-match unbeaten H2H run (W3, D1). All three of those wins were settled by a single goal, so they’ll be aware they’ll have to be at their best to fall on the right side of the result again. It’ll also be interesting to see the players’ collective response to their 3-1 defeat against Lyon last time out, a result that officially ended their slim UEFA Champions League qualification hopes.

It’s going to be the first time Monaco has finished outside the top three in three seasons, but their rotten record against league rivals this season suggests their woes could worsen and European football might even evade their grasp. That’s because the Red and Whites have managed to win just one of their nine games against other sides starting the round inside Ligue 1’s top six (D4, L4), further fuelling the importance of this game.

📋 Players to watch: His hat-trick last time out meant red-hot Amine Gouiri has registered seven goal contributions across his last seven Rennes outings. Monaco’s Breel Embolo recently returned from a six-game layoff through injury and he scored in the last H2H, making up one of his 12 league strikes this season.

⚡ Hot stat: Both teams have scored in 16 of the last 18 H2H meetings.