Monaco will put their unbeaten record on the line as they travel to Rennes for a Ligue 1 fixture on Wednesday. Rennes have been out of sorts this season and should be no match for the visitors, who are expected to claim the upper hand.
It has been a difficult start to the season for Rennes, who have picked up just two wins from their six matches. Manager Julien Stephan will know his team can play better than they have so far and will be seeking a spark to jump-start their campaign.
The problem for Rennes is that they have been beaten three times in their last five matches. One of those defeats came last weekend as they lost 3-1 to champions PSG with Arnaud Kalimuendo getting a late consolation.
Monaco are enjoying a totally contrasting start to the season as they are challenging further up the table. They are yet to taste defeat across all competitions so far and are level on points with PSG at the top of the Ligue 1 standings.
An impressive aspect of Monaco’s campaign is their character as they came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over Montpellier last time out in Ligue 1. It was a similar situation in the Champions League in midweek as Adi Hutter’s men fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Dinamo Zagreb.
How the bookies view it: Little to separate them
There is little to separate both according to the bookies, with a win for Rennes priced at 7/4 by Betfred, who is also offering 6/4 for a Monaco victory. A draw is set at odds of 5/2 by Betfred.
Head to head: Monaco on top
Monaco have a 31-17 advantage with 11 draws from 59 previous matches against Rennes. The Monegasques did the double last season, claiming a 2-1 victory at Roazhon Park before returning home for a 1-0 win.
Players to watch: Balogun to star
Folarin Balogun has caught the eye for Monaco this season, scoring two goals so far. The forward was on target last time out against Montpellier and is priced at 15/8 with Betfred to find the net on Saturday.
Kalimuendo has been one of the few shining lights for Rennes this season, scoring three Ligue 1 goals so far. The striker could be worth keeping an eye on and is priced at 7/4 by Betfred to get on the score sheet.
Probable line-ups
Kalimuendo is expected to lead the line for Rennes on Saturday, with Amine Gouiri and Ludovic Blas providing support. Baptiste Santamaria should start in midfield while Christopher Wooh is expected to continue at the back.
Balogun was a second half substitute for Monaco at Dinamo Zagreb and should return to the starting line-up on Saturday. He is likely to be partnered in attack by Breel Embolo while Wilfried Singo is set to start in defence.
Rennes: Mandanda, Ostigard, Wooh, Seidu, Hateboer, Santamaria, Matusiwa, Truffert, Blas, Gouiri, Kalimuendo
Monaco: Kohn, Vanderson, Salisu, Singo, Henrique, Zakaria, Golovin, Ben Seghir, Akliouche, Embolo, Balogun
Anything else catch the eye?
Rennes saw over 3.5 goals in their previous Ligue 1 fixture and a repeat is priced at 6/4 by Betfred. Monaco have opened the scoring in the last two meetings and could be backed to grab the first goal at 9/10 with Betfred.
Monaco have scored in both halves in their last four matches across all competitions and could be set for a similar pattern at 2/1 with Betfred.
This French Ligue 1 match between Rennes and Monaco will be played on Oct 5, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Rennes vs Monaco prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
