The international break came at the perfect time for Rennes and Montpellier as both sides struggled to find their form in the new campaign.
Les Rouge et Noirs will be happy to return to their home ground as this is where they won all of their points thus far. Moreover, their record against Montpellier at this stadium is heavily-one sided, which should bring extra confidence ahead of this fixture.
The back-to-back defeats to Strasbourg and Reims shed light to Rennes' problems in defence but there will be no room for mistakes against the struggling Montpellier.
La Paillade are one of four sides that remain without a win after the first three rounds. More importantly, Montpellier have the weakest defence in the league so far as they conceded 10 goals in the same number of matches.
How the bookies view it: Predictable odds
Bookmakers believe Rennes have a solid advantage but the 8/13 odds at Betfred still present some value. Alternatively, you can bet on the underdogs at 4/1 or the draw at 16/5.
Recent head to head: Rennes have the upper hand
Rennes and Montpellier have been an invariable part of Ligue 1 since 2009, which means the teams have played dozens of games in recent years. Statistically, SRFC won 7 of the last 10 H2Hs while Montpellier managed to outplay their opponents twice.
More importantly, the visitors last won at this stadium in 2014. Rennes won the last five H2Hs at home and haven't lost in nine in a row.
Players to watch: Time for Kalimuendo to score
Rennes are fortunate to have few injuries with Dogan Alemdar and Leo Ostigard listed as injured ahead of this match. Montpellier have not been as lucky and have confirmed six players as missing. Most notably, Kiki Kouyate and Joris Chotard, who are synonymous to the starting line-up for the team.
Kalimuendo-Muinga is yet to find the net in Ligue 1 this season and he is the expected goalscorer. However, we would turn your attention to Blas Ludovic, who has been Rennes' most impactful player in the three rounds of play. He contributed to at least one goal by either scoring or assisting in each match.
Probable line-ups
Rennes: Mandanda, Faye, Truffert, Wooh, Hateboer, Matusiwa, Kamara, Blas, Gronbaek, Gouiri, Kalimuendo
Montpellier: Lecomte, Omeragic, Sagnan, Tchato, Sacko, Ferri, Al-Taamari, Nzingoula, Savanier, Fayad, Adams
Anything else catch the eye?
The injury crisis will play its part in the upcoming fixture as La Paillade will be weakened in defence against a side that will be desperate to win some points.
As previously mentioned, Rennes won the last five home matches against this opponent. What's also worth noting is the number of goals they scored. Les Rouge et Noirs made sure to score at least twice in each of those fixtures. With Montpellier conceding 10 in three games, it is worth betting on Over 1.5 goals for the home side.
While we like the goalscorer odds for Gouiri and Kalimuendo, it might be a better idea to skip this market for now as it is too early to confirm their current form.
This French Ligue 1 match between Rennes and Montpellier will be played on Sep 15, 2024 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Rennes vs Montpellier prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
