Rennes and Nice will both endeavour to build on recent Coupe de France victories when they return to Ligue 1 duty at Roazhon Park on Saturday night.
Julien Stephan's side made it through to the fourth round of the cup with a 2-0 beating of Guingamp, while their visitors ran out 4-2 penalty-shootout victors over Auxerre.
Match preview
© Reuters
A Coupe de France winner with Rennes in the 2018-19 season during his first illustrious spell in charge of Les Rouges et Noir, the returning Stephan oversaw 45 minutes of frustration against Guingamp in the third round before Arnaud Kalimuendo headed in the deadlock breaker on the stroke of half time.
Just 12 minutes after the restart, the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker completed his brace to ensure a safe passage into the next phase of the knockout tournament for Rennes - who have drawn fellow powerhouses Marseille in round four - but improving a measly mid-table ranking is still priority number one for Stephan.
After opening December with a trio of successive losses across Ligue 1 and the Europa League, Rennes regained some of their Christmas spirit by taking four points from six against Toulouse and Clermont, sinking the latter team 3-1 to cement a 10th-placed ranking in the table.
The hosts remain mathematically closer to the automatic relegation places than the European berths, though, and they are yet to string together successive Ligue 1 victories all season long, suffering one draw and two defeats after their previous top-flight successes this term.
Les Rouges et Noir are also still waiting for their first home clean sheet of the season in Ligue 1 action, and they are at risk of losing three successive games at Roazhon Park in all tournaments for the first time since December 2020, three months before Stephan departed his post for the first time.
© Reuters
Nice were also handed a relatively kind opening Coupe de France battle with Auxerre - who dropped back down to Ligue 2 for the 2023-24 campaign - but after both sides failed to make the net bulge in a 90-minute scrap, penalties would be required to settle the tie.
Les Aiglons got off to the worst possible start from 12 yards as Evann Guessand failed to beat Theo De Percin, but Francesco Farioli's side then converted a quartet of perfect penalties while Auxerre duo Gaetan Perrin and Ado Onaiwu both fluffed their lines to bow out at the third-round stage.
A trip to Bordeaux awaits Les Aiglons in the fourth round later this month, but before Nice can once again get pre-occupied with thoughts of cup supremacy, Farioli's men have perennial champions Paris Saint-Germain in their sights as they aim to prolong their unexpected Ligue 1 title charge.
Victory for Nice at Roazhon Park would take the second-placed visitors to within two points of PSG, who are not in action until Sunday evening, but Farioli's side have lost their way on the road recently, losing on Nantes and Le Havre's territory in December.
Les Aiglons were also sunk 2-1 by Rennes in this fixture during the 2022-23 campaign, but they have since marched to consecutive wins over Les Rouges et Noir at the Allianz Riviera, prevailing 2-0 in November in a clash where both sides end the clash with 10 men.
Team News
© Reuters
While many French clubs have lost several players to Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup commitments this month, Rennes only have one international absentee in the shape of Christopher Wooh, who is representing Cameroon at the former tournament.
Lorenz Assignon is still missing with a leg injury for the hosts, but the Roazhon Park headlines have been dominated by Nemanja Matic, who is expected to make an acrimonious exit from Brittany due to alleged broken promises made by the club over his children's education in the city.
Matic was missing from the Coupe de France beating of Guingamp, and even though the Serbian veteran remains contracted to Rennes at the time of writing, he has supposedly already cleared out his locker and will not be involved this weekend.
As far as Nice are concerned, all of Terem Moffi, Hicham Boudaoui, Jeremie Boga and Youcef Atal have been selected for AFCON duty, although the latter's Aiglons career is in tatters after he was prosecuted for a controversial social media post relating to the Israel-Palestine war.
Much-coveted defender Jean-Clair Todibo must also serve the third and final game of a three-match suspension for his straight red against Le Havre on December 16, while Khephren Thuram - another embryonic talent catching the eye of European heavyweights - is out with a knee injury.
Sofiane Diop (toe), Aliou Balde (knee) and Badredine Bouanani (ankle) are keeping Thuram company in the treatment room, and despite his international call-up, Moffi is set to be available after his departure was delayed.
Saturday's tie could also see a debut for winter arrival Mohamed-Ali Cho, who has returned to Ligue 1 with Nice following an unsuccessful spell in Spain with Real Sociedad.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; G. Doue, Omari, Theate, Truffert; Le Fee, Santamaria; Blas, Bourigeaud, Terrier; Kalimuendo
Nice possible starting lineup:
Bulka; Lotomba, Mendy, Dante, Bard; Ndayishimiye, Rosario, Claude-Maurice; Moffi, Laborde, Cho
We say: Rennes 1-1 Nice
Nice have prided themselves on defensive discipline all season long, but with Todibo still on the naughty step and Thuram in the treatment room, Les Aiglons' hopes of another clean sheet at Roazhon Park are slim to say the least.
Farioli's title chasers have had Rennes' number over the past 12 months, though, and given the hosts' rearguard frailties on home soil, a share of the spoils could be on the cards here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Knapton
