Both looking to ease their growing fears of relegation, Angers and Rennes will clash at Stade Raymond Kopa for a Ligue 1 match on Sunday afternoon.
Le SCO suffered three straight defeats prior to the final international break of the term, whereas Les Rennais are aiming to avoid such a fate with a positive result this weekend.
Match preview
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After finishing second in the second tier of French football last season and earning automatic promotion to the top table, Angers are on a mission to avoid an immediate relegation from Ligue 1, with Sunday afternoon’s hosts on course for a respectable finish in the top flight.
That being said, Le SCO have endured a tricky March schedule overall, currently in the midst of a three-match losing run, during which time they have conceded eight goals and failed to find the net themselves, raising concerns that they could be dragged back into trouble.
Last collecting a Ligue 1 result at the base of Saint-Etienne on February 22, Angers have slipped to 14th spot in the top-flight table ahead of this weekend’s hosting of Rennes, still boasting a six-point buffer over fellow strugglers Le Havre in the relegation-playoff spot.
Alexandre Dujeux‘s men will need to address their less-than-ideal home form if they wish to climb out of a potential fight for survival, with Le SCO earning just 11 points from 13 games at Stade Raymond Kopa so far, meaning that they rank 16th in Ligue 1 based on home form.
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For the first time since a forgettable 2013-14 campaign, Rennes are on course to finish outside of the top 10 in Ligue 1, with Sunday’s visitors to Stade Raymond Kopa seeking a considerable change of fortunes following the two-week break owing to the international match calendar.
Back-to-back wins over Reims and Montpellier a few weeks ago suggested that Les Rennais could be set to compete at the top end of the division once again, however the Red and Blacks went into the international break licking their wounds, having been dispatched by Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.
After losing back-to-back matches, Habib Beye‘s men slumped to 12th spot in the Ligue 1 standings ahead of Sunday’s jaunt to Stade Raymond Kopa, a mammoth 13 points behind sixth-placed Lille, who are currently guarding entry to a spot in the Conference League next term.
Whilst his side flirt with the prospect of midtable mediocrity, Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga has enjoyed a productive spell on a personal note after bagging 11 goals across 25 league appearances, meaning that the 23-year-old is already one goal away from matching his best-ever goalscoring campaign in Ligue 1.
Team News
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Angers will be without the services of leading marksman Himad Abdelli, who picked up a suspension-inducing yellow card during the defeat versus Monaco before the international break.
Le SCO are battling on without the talents of Sidiki Cherif, with the 18-year-old sidelined for the remainder of the term owing to a thigh issue.
Like their hosts on Sunday, Rennes also have a star player in the medical room for the foreseeable future, with centre-back Alidu Seidu out because of a serious knee injury.
The Ghana international is joined in the medical room by the hamstrung Lilian Brassier, further limiting Beye’s options in his backline for this weekend.
Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Arcus, Bamba, Lefort, Hanin; Belkebla, Belkhdim, Ferhat, El Melali, Allevinah; Lepaul
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Samba; Jacquet, Rouault, Faye; Assignon, Cisse, Matusiwa, James, Truffert; Kalimuendo-Muinga, Meite
We say: Angers 1-2 Rennes
Losing each of their last three matches with little fight, Angers are at danger of being dragged into the relegation dogfight before the conclusion of the campaign.
Rennes will be thankful of Abdelli’s absence for this clash and should take full advantage, returning to their home base with all three points.
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