6th plays 4th in Ligue 1 this Sunday afternoon as Lyon face off against Rennes at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.


A 0-0 draw with Sevilla in midweek was not enough to preserve Lyon’s Champions League status and Les Gones will now have their sights set on qualifying for next season’s competition.

They drop into the Europa League after the winter break which offers a possible route back to Europe’s premier tournament however Bruno Genesio’s side will feel they can also achieve a top three finish in Ligue 1 after some decent results in recent weeks.

Sunday’s hosts have won three of their last four in France including a 0-6 hammering of Nantes last week and although only 6th in the standings, Lyon will feel they can reel in the likes of Monaco and Nice as the season progresses.

Lyon are 10 points behind the top three at present but do have a game in hand after their fixture with Metz was abandoned last weekend in difficult circumstances after opposition goalkeeper Anthony Lopes was hit with a missile from the stands.

A win over Rennes on Sunday would do much to cure Lyon’s premature Champions League exit and Les Gones are heavy 8/15 favourites to oblige despite the fact their opponents are two points ahead of them in the table.

That’s mainly due to Rennes’ dismal away form – Les Rouges et Noirs have taken just four points from a possible 21 on their travels and were beaten 2-1 by bottom side Lorient on their last away outing.

Christian Gourcuff’s men hit back last weekend with a 2-0 home win against St Etienne however their form outside of Roazhon Park makes them almost impossible to fancy for a victory here – despite their 1-2 success in last season’s corresponding fixture.


Nonetheless, the 8/15 about Lyon is also a bit short to make a play for them in the match betting especially as Les Gones have lost three of their seven home matches in 2016/17.

So at the prices, we’ll take a punt on the draw at 3/1 and 2-2 in the correct score market at 14/1.

Whilst Lyon are likely to prove the better team this season and probably have a quality edge over Rennes, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they may turn out a little flat after midweek and the 3/1 about the spoils being shared offers good value.
HEAD TO HEAD
The last meeting between the teams finished 2-2 at the back end of last season. The teams have taken two wins apiece from the four previous fixtures.
LYON VS RENNES STATS
Lyon have proved vulnerable at home this season losing three of their seven games at Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Rennes have a poor away record with just four points claimed from a possible 21 however they may be able to snatch a point here following Lyon’s Champions League exit in midweek.


LYON TEAM NEWS

Centre back Emanuel Mammana is doubtful again for Lyon however there are no further injury concerns for Bruno Genesio’s side.
RENNES TEAM NEWS

Centre back Mexer is still out with a knee injury whilst winger Wesley Said is unavailable due to a malleolar problem. However, manager Christian Gourcuff is able to name the same eleven that beat St Etienne 2-0 last weekend.

Prediction: over 2.5