The Ligue 1 weekend gets underway at Roazhon Park on Friday night, when Rennes and Reims lock horns in a meeting between two clubs fighting at the wrong end of the table.
Few clubs have been as out-of-form as these two in 2025 in Ligue 1, and both are under new management following respective slides down the standings.
Match preview
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With just 23 points from their opening 22 Ligue 1 games, Rennes are having their worst campaign since 2001-02, when they had just 20 points at this stage.
The current crop will look to take inspiration from the fact that Rennes side survived relegation, and eventually finished up in 12th, with this expensively-assembled squad already looking set to move away from trouble.
Despite that heavy spending, though, Rennes fell to defeat at home to Lille last weekend, going down 2-0 largely thanks to a red card to Christopher Wooh, which eventually allowed Les Dogues to snatch victory late on.
That result means Rennes have already lost three home games in 2025, and another here would see them lose four of their first five on home soil in a calendar year for the first time since 1987.
New manager Habib Beye oversaw two wins to get his reign underway against Strasbourg and Saint-Etienne, moving them five points clear of Les Verts, who are in the relegation playoff spot, but they must ensure the form seen under Jorge Sampaoli does not return.
Worryingly, Reims are something of a bogey team for Rennes, because the hosts have lost more than half of their Ligue 1 meetings since 2000 (11 in 21 matches), suffering only a higher proportion of defeats against Bastia (58%).
Rennes have beaten Reims in successive seasons at Roazhon Park though, providing them with the opportunity here to win three straight home matches against their upcoming opponents for the first time this century.
Visitors Reims start the weekend one point and one place below their hosts, with their plummet down the standings resulting in the sacking of Luka Elsner at the start of the month.
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It was a 2-1 defeat at home to fellow relegation-candidates Nantes that was the final nail in the Slovenian's coffin, but the incoming Samba Diawara has struggled to turn the tide since stepping in.
Reims needed penalties to beat fifth-tier Bourgoin Jallieu in the Coupe de France after a 0-0 draw, and they are still yet to score under Diawara in two league defeats.
Their last away outing saw them suffer a chastening 4-0 defeat at Lyon, before losing 1-0 at home to Angers last time out, which does not bode well for both their relegation fears, and their Coupe quarter-final, which is against Angers this midweek.
Taking just five points from a possible 33, Reims have now lost three in a row, and could lose four straight Ligue 1 matches for the first time in almost five years, with away form deserting them at an important time in the season.
Reims took 12 points from a possible 24 on the road before a recent three-game run that has seen them claim just one point away from home, suggesting they could struggle here.
Team News
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Rennes will have to deal with an eye-watering number of absentees for this one, particularly through suspension, with Wooh banned after his dismissal against Lille.
Beye will also be without two players due to yellow card accumulation too, with Ludovic Blas and goalkeeper Brice Samba suspended for this clash, but Jordan James is available again after serving a ban last weekend.
On the injury list, Jeremy Jacquet has joined Anthony Rouault, Alidu Seidu and Azor Matusiwa on the sidelines after being forced off in last weekend's defeat, but there is hope the latter could return after three games out with illness.
Knee injuries will keep Reims duo Mohammed Daramy and Reda Khadra out again here, while Yaya Fofana (ankle), Jordan Siebatcheu (hamstring) and Abdoul Kone (thigh) are also on the treatment table at present.
Youngster Gabriel Moscardo has also been unavailable recently due to South American U20 World Cup qualifying, where he has been representing Brazil, but following the conclusion of that, the Paris Saint-Germain loanee will return imminently.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Hateboer, I. Kone, Brassier; Assignon, James, Cisse, Truffert; Tamari, Kalimuendo, Kyogo
Reims possible starting lineup:
Diouf; Buta, Okumu, Kipre, Akieme; Gbane, Teuma, Am. Kone; Ito, Nakamura, Diakhon
We say: Rennes 1-0 Reims
Rennes' vast investment in the January transfer window should give them the edge over their relegation rivals, as has been seen recently with wins over Strasbourg and Saint-Etienne.
Last week's clash with Lille was a tough assignment, and an out-of-form Reims are a level below that, so the hosts will feel they should win against a side who are winless in 11 league matches.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
