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Rennes will welcome Nice to Roazhon Park in their first Ligue 1 match of the year on Saturday.
The hosts played Guingamp in the Coupe de France on Sunday and Arnaud Kalimuendo's brace helped them record a 2-0 win. It was their second win on the spin, having defeated Clermont Foot 3-1 in Ligue 1 last month. Second-half goals from Kalimuendo, Désiré Doué, and Ludovic Blas helped them register a comeback win.
The visitors defeated Auxerre 4-2 on penalties in the Coupe de France on Sunday. They had signed off for 2023 with a comfortable 2-0 win over Nice in the Ligue 1, with Terem Moffi scoring twice in two minutes.
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Rennes vs Nice Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have locked horns 108 times in all competitions thus far. These meetings have been contested closely between the two teams, with the visitors having a narrow 44-38 lead in wins and 26 games ending in draws.
- Last season, both teams registered 2-1 home wins in their Ligue 1 meetings. Nice recorded a 2-0 home win in the reverse fixture in November and Rennes will look to return the favor here.
- The hosts are unbeaten in their last three games in all competitions, keeping two clean sheets. They have just one win in their last five home games in Ligue 1, suffering three defeats.
- The visitors are winless in their last three away games in Ligue 1, suffering two losses and failing to score twice in that period.
- The visitors have the best defensive record in Ligue 1 this season, conceding nine goals. The hosts have outscored them 23-19 in 17 games thus far.
Rennes vs Nice Prediction
Les Rouge et Noirs endured a poor run of form in December, suffering back-to-back defeats in the first three games of the month. They managed to regain form before the winter break, returning to winning ways after four games in their last match of 2023 with a 3-1 triumph over Clermont Foot.
They continued that winning run in their first match of 2024, recording a 2-0 win over Guingamp. Interestingly, both wins came away from home. They have lost three of their last four home games across all competitions.
Coming to the team news, head coach Julien Stéphan will be without four players as Amine Gouiri is injured and Lorenz Assignon is dealing with an illness. Nemanja Matic wishes to leave the club and missed training without permission earlier this week. Christopher Wooh is on international duty at the 2023 AFCON for Cameroon.
Les Aiglons have three wins in their last four games and have kept two back-to-back clean sheets. Nonetheless, they are winless in their last three away games and might struggle here.
Francesco Farioli has a lengthy absentee list as Sofiane Diop, Badredine Bouanani, Kephren Thuram, and Aliou Baldé are injured. Morgan Sanson and Romain Perraud were absent in the Coupe de France and face late fitness tests. Jean-Clair Todibo is suspended.
Youcef Atal, Hicham Boudaoui, and Jeremie Boga are on international duty but a piece of good news is that Terem Moffi will leave for the 2023 AFCON after this match.
Considering the significant absentees for the two teams and their current form, a low-scoring draw might ensue.
Prediction: Rennes 1-1 Nice
Rennes vs Nice Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Terem Moffi to score or assist any time - Yes
