Brest and Rennes will both be aiming to return to winning ways in Ligue 1 when the two sides lock horns at the Stade Francis-Le Ble on Sunday lunchtime.
The hosts were swept aside 3-0 by Paris Saint-Germain last time out, whereas Les Rouge et Noir held leaders Lyon to a 2-2 draw in gameweek 19.
Match preview
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Olivier Dall'Oglio's free-scoring Brest would have been aware of PSG's injury concerns in defence before making the trip to the capital, but the champions ultimately prevailed in a resounding 3-0 win on their own turf.
Moise Kean, Pablo Sarabia and the returning Mauro Icardi all found the back of the net to condemn an inconsistent Brest to their first defeat of 2021, and they can now only boast a solitary win from their last five in the top flight.
Dall'Oglio's charges have proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the attacking front so should not have any fears of relegation, but a spot in Europe is looking increasingly unlikely as they sit 11th in the table.
However, it is Les Pirates' away form that is hindering their prospects of a continental campaign, as Brest are now welcoming Rennes to a ground where they have won four out of their last five - notching up at least two goals in every game in that run.
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Meanwhile, Rennes stretched their unbeaten run to six matches with a hard-fought draw at table-toppers Lyon, but Julien Stephan would have been frustrated to see his side only take one point from that encounter.
Les Rouge et Noir were 2-0 up heading into the final 10 minutes thanks to goals from the resurgent Clement Grenier and Benjamin Bourigeaud, but Lyon pegged it back late on as Memphis Depay and Jason Denayer denied Rennes their fifth win in six matches.
Since exiting the Champions League at the first hurdle, Stephan's side have demonstrated a marked improvement in Ligue 1, although their failure to get one over Lyon allowed Monaco to leapfrog them into the top four after their dominant win over Angers.
Furthermore, Marseille are only one point behind Rennes having played two fewer matches, so the incentive is there for Rennes to travel to the Stade Francis-Le Ble and claim their first victory of 2021.
While Brest's dominance at home is well-documented, the visitors have kept clean sheets in their last three away matches and have only lost once in their last 11 meetings with Les Pirates - as well as recording a 2-1 win when these sides first met in the 2020-21 campaign.
Brest Ligue 1 form: WDDLWL
Rennes Ligue 1 form: WWWWDD
Team News
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Brest's medical room is empty at the moment bar long-term absentee Denys Bain, who continues to recover from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
However, backup goalkeeper Sebastien Cibois is also doubtful with a sprained ankle, but the 22-year-old was never likely to displace Gautier Larsonneur in between the sticks.
The hosts have already been active in the transfer market with the loan signing of Lyon midfielder Jean Lucas, but the 22-year-old is not expected to be thrown straight into the starting lineup.
Rennes will still be without captain Damien Da Silva owing to a muscular problem, while Faitout Maouassa, Daniele Rugani and Serhou Guirassy all remain sidelined.
Romain Salin has kept his spot in goal over Alfred Gomis recently, but the 36-year-old could finally make way for the returning number one here, and Stephan has a big call to make up top.
Bourigeaud played in a more advanced role to allow Grenier and Eduardo Camavinga to partner up in midfield against Lyon - a move which left both recognised strikers in M'Baye Niang and Adrien Hunou on the bench - but the two frontmen will be vying for a starting role here over Martin Terrier.
Brest possible starting lineup:
Larsonneur; Pierre-Gabriel, Chardonnet, Duverne, Perraud; Honorat, Lasne, Belkebla, Faivre; Mounie, Cardona
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Gomis; Traore, Nyamsi, Aguerd, Truffert; Nzonzi, Camavinga, Grenier; Bourigeaud, Niang, Doku
We say: Brest 1-3 Rennes
Rennes' resilience on the road could be broken in the absence of the ever-present Da Silva, and if there is any team with the attacking prowess to breach Stephan's defence, it is Brest. However, the visitors have got their Champions League charge back on track in recent weeks and will be determined to get off the mark for the New Year as quickly as possible, so this should be a 10th victory of the season for Les Rouge et Noir.
Top betting tip
Ben Knapton
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Rennes win with a probability of 46.2%. A win for Brest had a probability of 28.36% and a draw had a probability of 25.4%.
The most likely scoreline for a Rennes win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.61%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (9.23%) and 0-2 (8.1%). The likeliest Brest win was 1-0 (7.92%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.09%). The actual scoreline of 1-2 was predicted with a 9.2% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Rennes would win this match.
