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

Following a defeat to basement team Lyon last weekend, the host find themselves a single point and place above the bottom three while their visitors are just two points better off in 13th spot.

Match preview

Toulouse will return to Ligue 1 action on Sunday aiming to bounce back from a tough start to the campaign in France's top flight, as they currently occupy 15th spot with just 13 points on the board from their first 15 matches, having managed just two victories with no team in the division picking up fewer.

That is despite a positive Europa League group campaign simultaneously, as Carles Martinez Novell's side booked a playoff place with a second-placed finish, but they now have to go back to the start of October for their last Ligue 1 triumph, having gone eight games without another three-point haul since.

Heading into the November international break on the back of consecutive defeats and a draw with Lille, Les Violets found themselves fighting around the relegation zone on just 12 points from 12 games, and they have not improved their fortunes in three attempts since, firstly losing 1-0 away at Nice before being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Lorient as Bamba Dieng equalised for their visitors in injury time.

A trip to basement side Lyon then followed in their last Ligue 1 outing last weekend, and they would leave empty-handed following a particularly concerning result, suffering a 3-0 defeat as Alexandre Lacazette notched up a hat-trick, although Novell's men may now head into the weekend with a degree of renewed confidence, having confirmed their Europa Leauge playoff place on Thursday with a 2-1 win away at LASK Linz, courtesy of goals from Thijs Dallinga and Gabriel Suazo.

Now only leading the relegation zone by a single point, Toulouse will be desperate to build on their midweek result and kickstart a climb up the table with just a third league win of the campaign on Sunday.

They meet a Rennes side who are also hoping to put a disappointing start behind them, with Sunday's visitors currently occupying 13th spot with just 15 points from their 15 games following back-to-back fourth-placed finishes in the previous two terms.

As a result of their poor opening run, former manager Bruno Genesio was dismissed during the November international break with the side sat on just 12 points from 12 games, and his replacement Julien Stephan did, at least, oversee a victory in his first game at the helm on their return to action, as Rennes beat Reims 3-1 on home turf thanks to goals from Amine Gouiri, Benjamin Bourigeaud and Arthur Theate.

They have been unable to build an improved run on the back of that three-point haul, though, and now head into the weekend's trip on the back of consecutive Ligue 1 defeats, albeit in a tough pair of fixtures, as they firstly lost 2-0 away at Marseille before falling just short at home to Monaco last weekend with Bourigeaud's 90th-minute goal coming too late to spark a turnaround after Vanderson and Youssouf Fofana had the visitors 2-0 up.

Now also following on from a Europa League outing in midweek, having dropped to second spot in their group in the final round of games as a result of a 3-2 home defeat to Villarreal, Rennes will turn their focus back to the French top flight and bid to improve their fortunes in the coming weeks and climb towards the right end of the division.

Toulouse Ligue 1 form:

L

L

D

L

D

L

Toulouse form (all competitions):

D

L

D

D

L

W

Rennes Ligue 1 form:

D

L

L

W

L

L

Rennes form (all competitions):

L

W

W

L

L

L

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Team News

Carles Martinez Novell may be tempted to deploy an unchanged Toulouse starting XI from Thursday's win away at LASK, aside from the loss of winger Aron Donnum, who will serve a suspension due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

With fellow winger Zakaria Aboukhlal remaining sidelined by injury, Frank Magri may come in on the right flank from the start, while Thijs Dallinga is bound to again lead the line after notching his ninth goal of the season in that Europa League triumph.

He could again be joined by Cesar Gelabert up front in a 4-4-2 shape, while at the other end of the pitch, Rasmus Nicolaisen and Logan Costa are mainstays at the back and will continue their partnership at the heart of the defence.

Rennes should again line up in a 3-4-3 shape at the weekend, with Christopher Wooh and Nemanja Matic both having returned to contention on Thursday after missing the last league game through suspension.

As he did against Villarreal, Wooh should again join Jeanuel Belocian and Arthur Theate in a back three, while former Chelsea and Manchester United man Matic is bound to again partner Enzo Le Fee in the engine room.

Amine Gouiri, Ludovic Blas and Ibrahim Salah will all fight to come into the front three from the outset on Sunday, after Benjamin Bourigeaud and Martin Terrier were preferred either side of Bertug Yildirim.

Toulouse possible starting lineup:

Restes; Mawissa, Nicolaisen, Costa, Diarra; Magri, Sierro, Casseres, Cissoko; Dallinga, Gelabert

Rennes possible starting lineup:

Mandanda; Wooh, Belocian, Theate; Assignon, Matic, Le Fee, Nagida; Bourigeaud, Yildirim, Gouiri

We say: Toulouse 1-2 Rennes

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