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Kick off: Thursday, 4 February @20:00 GMT
Venue: Roazhon Park
Live stream: fuboTV (US), bet365 (non-US)
Head to head record
St Etienne vs Rennes 1-1 (Ligue 1 2015/16)
Rennes vs St Etienne 0-0 (Ligue 1 2014/15)
St Etienne vs Rennes 0-0 (Ligue 1 2014/15)
St Etienne vs Rennes 0-0 (Ligue 1 2013/14)
Rennes vs St Etienne 3-1 (Ligue 1 2013/14)
Rennes vs Saint Etienne prediction
Curtain drops on Ligue 1 midweek round 24 on Thursday night with Rennes taking on Saint Etienne in the highlight game at Roazhon Park. Matches between the two sides have been the close-knit affairs and we should expect another tough clash.
European bandwagon
Rennes have been dealt a huge blow at Bordeaux last time out, as Rolland Coubris’ men shipped four and left the pitch feeling disappointed and ashamed by their poor performance. Les Rouges et Noirs have alternated between wins and losses in their last four games across all competitions, and Thursday match against Saint Etienne will be of huge importance in their European chase. Rennes are currently occupying the sixth spot in the standings with 34 points after 23 rounds and are only two shy of Nice, who are sitting in fourth with their sights set for Europa League qualifications. Courbis’ troops have lost only one in their last five league games and will be eager to bounce back from their disappointing loss at Bordeaux. Les Rouges et Noirs have bolstered their ranks in January having brought Kermit Erasmus from Orlando Pirates and the South African could be given the chance to help his team record an important win.
Rolland Courbis is set to welcome Yoan Gourcuff back to the squad, but Pedro Henrique, Ludovic Baal and Dimitri Kevin Cavare remain sidelined for the occasion.
Inconsistency the problem
Saint Etienne head into their game with Rennes eager to close the gap on the teams vying for Europe, but in order to do so they will need to beat their own inconsistency. Two defeats, one draw and two wins in their last five league games are not the record to be proud of, but Christophe Galtier’s men are eager to make an impression and stay in the race for European places. There is only a point separating the two sides in sixth and eighth place in the standings, and Saint Etienne will have an opportunity to win and leapfrog their rivals. Les Vertes are coming off from a 2-0 loss at the hands of Paris Saint Germain at their home ground and will want to bounce back and make an instant response after a loss to the reigning champions. Saint Etienne have scored only 25 goals in 23 games so far with Valentin Eysseric beinghte team’s top scorer with 4 goals to his name in the league thus far. The hosts have bolstered their ranks in order to improve the scorings, but January signing Alexander Soderlund will need time to make an impression. He did manage to score one in four since arriving from Rosenborg and will once again lead the attack at Rennes.
Galtier is making the trip to Rennes with almost full squad to choose from. Robert Beric remains the only unavailable player due to the cruciate ligament rupture he suffered back in November.
Quick Facts
- Four of the last five games between two sides ended in draw
- There were only two goals scored in last five meetings between Rennes and St Etienne
- Rennes have suffered the season’s most comprehensive defeat in the last round of Ligue 1
- St Etienne have lost 6 of their last 10 games on the road
- Rennes won only one of their last ten games at home
- Rennes vs Saint Etienne betting tip
Rennes vs Saint Etienne betting tip
Meetings between the two sides usually lack excitement and four of the last five games between Rennes and Saint Etienne ended in a goalless draw. There is plenty at stake for both rivals fighting for their place in Europe next season, and I expect to see a cautious approach from both side.
Tip: Draw
Odds: 3.10 (21/10) @Bet365
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Daily Specials
| Event | Promotion | Claim | Expiring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watford v Chelsea | Chelsea to win is 6/1 (exclusive) | Claim | @19:45 |
| Europe | Inter, Everton, Nice & Empoli is 21/2 | Claim | @19:00 |
| Europe | Inter, Chelsea, Lyon & Nantes is 9/1 | Claim | @19:00 |
| Europe | Chelsea, Juventus & PSG is 21/10 | Claim | @19:45 |
| Europe | Celtic, Chelsea & Everton is 5/1 | Claim | @19:45 |
| Watford v Chelsea | Over 1.5 goals in each half is 13/2 | Claim | @19:45 |
| Watford v Chelsea | Chelsea to win, BTTS & over 2.5 is 4/1 | Claim | @19:45 |
| Watford v Chelsea | Willian to score & Chelsea to win is 5/1 | Claim | @19:45 |
| Watford v Chelsea | Ighalo to sc0re & Watford to win is 9/1 | Claim | @19:45 |
