Preview: Rennes vs. Marseille - prediction, team news, lineups

Rennes will be looking to make it four wins on the bounce in all competitions, whereas Marseille need to start winning regularly again if they are to challenge Paris Saint-Germain for the title this season.

Match preview

Rennes' European adventure for this campaign came to an end last Thursday after a penalty-shootout defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk in the playoff round of the Europa League, meaning all focus is now on Ligue 1 for Bruno Genesio's men until June.

Les Rennais made it back-to-back wins in the league most recently with a 1-0 victory at Nantes on Sunday afternoon, with the highly-talented Jeremy Doku netting the decisive strike in the first half.

That maximum on the road leaves Rennes in fifth in the Ligue 1 standings, two points ahead of Lille who lead the pack chasing down those coveted top-five positions in the table.

Genesio's side have made Roazhon Park a fortress so far this season, collecting 33 points from just 13 home matches in Ligue 1, with only Lens able to match such an impressive tally.

Marseille's hopes of earning silverware this season have taken a massive blow in the last week, starting with the 3-0 defeat at home to PSG on Sunday - a loss which allowed the Parisians to extend their advantage in the title race to eight points.

Stade Velodrome was also the destination for Marseille's Coupe de France last-eight clash with Annecy on Wednesday night, with Igor Tudor's side suffering a huge upset as they lost on penalties to their second-tier visitors.

With perennial winners PSG out of the competition and Marseille in decent form, this year's Coupe de France represented a big opportunity for the club to earn their first title in the tournament since 1989, a point highlighted by midfielder Matteo Guendouzi in a scathing post-match interview.

Sitting in second in the league standings and only two points above Lens in fourth, Les Olympiens have a real battle on their hands to secure Champions League football for next season, let alone challenge Lionel Messi and company for the Ligue 1 crown.

Rennes Ligue 1 form:

L

W

L

L

W

W

Rennes form (all competitions):

L

L

L

W

L

W

Marseille Ligue 1 form:

D

W

L

W

W

L

Marseille form (all competitions):

L

W

W

W

L

L

Team News

Rennes have a host of injury concerns to deal with ahead of Sunday's clash, with both Hamari Traore and Flavien Tait a couple of weeks away from action due to calf and ankle issues respectively.

Les Rennais will be without winger Martin Terrier for the remainder of the campaign after the 26-year-old suffered a cruciate ligament injury in the home match with Nice back in January.

Marseille named a strong XI for their humiliation against Annecy on Tuesday night and should make plenty of changes for this matchup, with Azzedine Ounahi and Vitor Oliveira pushing for starts.

Like their hosts, Marseille have a cruciate ligament injury within their ranks - Moroccan Amine Harit is out for the season after picking up the issue in November against Monaco.

Rennes possible starting lineup:

Mandanda; Spence, Omari, Theate, Truffert; Majer, Bourigeaud, Santamaria; Salah, Kalimuendo-Muinga, Doku

Marseille possible starting lineup:

Lopez; Mbemba, Balerdi, Kolasinac; Tavares, Guendouzi, Veretout, Clauss; Oliveira, Ounahi, Sanchez

We say: Rennes 2-1 Marseille

Rennes are out of the Europa League and must now focus on Ligue 1 matters if they are to secure a European berth once again, with an assignment against Marseille a real test of their top-five credentials.

Previews by email