Two places separate Rennes and Toulouse in the Ligue 1 table heading into Saturday's gameweek 29 fixture at Roazhon Park.
The Red and Blacks have lost their last three in all competitions without scoring, while their opponents are in slightly healthier form, having secured seven points from five league fixtures.
Match preview
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Rennes began the new year in fine fettle, winning five straight games to start 2024 — six altogether if their final game of 2023 is included — but their form has fallen off a cliff since beating Clermont on February 18.
While a draw at Paris Saint-Germain cannot be seen in a negative light, what has followed that Paris stalemate has disrupted the Red and Blacks' season.
Julien Stephan's men have accrued just four points from the following five Ligue 1 matches, losing the last two at Strasbourg (2-0) and Monaco (1-0) without finding the back of the net.
On the one hand, it is easy to panic after firing blanks in two losses. However, Rennes' away form has been the antithesis of their performances and results in Brittany, underscored by four wins in five (one defeat), with Lyon the last side to prevent the Rennais from scoring — a 1-0 loss in November.
Seven more home games have come since, and the Red and Blacks' goalscoring consistency stands them in good stead for Saturday.
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This weekend's visitors have recovered from two losses at Le Havre (1-0) and Lyon (3-2) to claim consecutive shutouts in the competition, defeating Clermont (3-0) and playing out a goalless encounter against Strasbourg last time out.
Interestingly, four of Le Tef's away matches have resulted in victories for Carles Martinez Novell's troops, pointing to a positive performance for Toulouse in Brittany this weekend.
Anticipating an admirable road showing is a far cry from what transpired in the first half of the season when Le Tif went eight matches on their travels without claiming a victory, having secured maximum points on their first away match this term at Nantes.
Five losses and three draws followed over four months until a 1-0 triumph at Metz ended the club's road fragility.
Novell's men have accrued 19 points from 11 in 2024, two more points than they managed in the league's first 17 games, emphasising Toulouse's upswing and why supporters should look forward to Saturday's showing at Rennes.
Team News
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Martin Terrier was dismissed in the loss at Monaco, ruling out the forward on Saturday.
Terrier is the joint-second top scorer for the Rennais this term, with Benjamin Bourigeaud (seven), Arnaud Kalimuendo (six) and Amine Gouiri (five) keen to come up trumps.
Mahamadou Nagida is anticipated to miss this weekend's meeting for the hosts because of a knee injury.
Toulouse's Ibrahim Cissoko is seemingly out with illness, while Mikkel Desler has a calf issue.
Thijs Dallinga is the away side's top scorer, and the forward's next goal will be his 12th in Ligue 1.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Seidu, Wooh, Theate, Truffert; Bourigeaud, Santamaria, Matusiwa, Doue; Gouiri, Kalimuendo
Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Restes; Costa, Nicolaisen, Diarra; Kamanzi, Spierings, Casseres, Suazo; Magri, Gboho; Dallinga
We say: Rennes 2-2 Toulouse
Even though Toulouse are Rennes' second-favourite opponent in Ligue 1 in the 21st century after Nantes, Saturday's game between a club with four wins in five in recent home games against a side that have claimed four victories from five road matches points to a close encounter with both teams cancelling each other out.
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