The Matchday 5 clash in Ligue 1 between Nantes and Rennes will take place on September 20 at the Stade de la Beaujoire. Nantes vs. Rennes: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Nantes
In the last round, the team narrowly lost to Nice (0-1), marking their third defeat in the first four matches of the championship. It's not the most successful start, but it's worth considering the tough schedule – Nantes has only lost to teams participating in European competitions. Additionally, there was a match against Auxerre, where Luis Castro's side secured a victory. The main issue for Nantes is their low scoring rate in Ligue 1. Over four rounds, the club has scored only one goal. Largely due to this, the team occupies only 14th place in the league standings.
- Nantes has conceded in 9 of their last 12 matches in Ligue 1.
- The club has won with a handicap (+1.5) in 14 previous league matches.
- The team has not lost in 5 of their last 7 home matches in this tournament (3 wins, 2 draws).
Predicted lineup for Nantes (4-5-1)
Anthony Lopes – Kelvin Amian, Chidozie Awaziem, Thilel Tati, Nicolas Cozza – Yassine Benhatab, Hong Hyun-seok, Junior Mwanga, Johann Lepenant, Mathis Ablin – Mostafa Mohamed.
Rennes
The team secured victories in high-profile home matches against Marseille and Lyon, while in two away games against Lorient and Angers, Rennes managed just 1 point out of a possible 6. It's worth noting that the club doesn't struggle with motivation against underdogs; the issue lies in their weak performance on the road. The Bretons have failed to win in 16 of their last 20 away matches in Ligue 1 (2 draws, 14 losses). Despite this long-standing problem, Rennes is in 6th place in the league standings, within the European competition zone.
- The team has scored in 9 of their last 10 matches in Ligue 1.
- At least 2 goals have been scored in 9 of the last 10 matches involving Rennes in this tournament.
- The club's winless away streak in the league stands at 5 matches (1 draw, 4 losses).
Predicted lineup for Rennes (3-5-2)
Brice Samba – Anthony Rouault, Jeremy Jacquet, Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal – Quentin Merlin, Jaouen Hadjam, Valentin Rongier, Ludovic Blas, Przemysław Frankowski – Breel Embolo, Esteban Lepold.
Midfielder Mahdi Camara has served a two-match suspension.
Referee
Mathieu Vernice (France)
Matches – 16 (Ligue 1, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 69;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.3;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 19%.
Match Prediction: Nantes vs. Rennes
Nantes is one of the least impressive teams in the first part of the Ligue 1 season. The club plays rather uninspiringly in attack while allowing few opportunities at their own goal. As a result, in each of the four matches of the current championship, only one goal was scored. Nantes themselves have scored just 1 goal, which is the worst record in the tournament, but they have also conceded only 3 goals – no other team in Ligue 1 has conceded fewer. Additionally, no more than 2 goals have been scored in 8 of the club's last 9 league matches, as well as in 7 of their last 8 home matches in this tournament.
Rennes' matches are usually more lively, but the Bretons often struggle without the support of their home crowd. This season, playing away, the club has scored only 1 goal in 2 Ligue 1 matches. Looking at head-to-head encounters, we see a similar pattern: the team has scored no more than 1 goal in 7 of their last 8 matches at Nantes' ground in the league, and in 6 of these 8 games, no more than 2 goals were scored overall.
I believe the new meeting between Nantes and Rennes should also be low-scoring. Prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
