Match Overview: Rennes vs Lens

The highly anticipated sixth-round fixture in will see Rennes go head-to-head with Lens on September 28, staged at the impressive Roazhon Park. This comprehensive preview offers a deep dive into the upcoming encounter, including our match prediction, potential betting angles, and crucial statistical insights.

Rennes Team Analysis

At the outset of the current season, Rennes has demonstrated remarkable resilience, consistently securing points in nearly every outing. Across their initial five matches, the team has suffered just one defeat, a challenging away game against Lorient where Habib Beye’s squad played almost the entire match with nine men. Following that setback, the club has embarked on a three-game unbeaten streak in the league, recording one victory and two draws. Notably, Rennes has triumphed in their last two home fixtures in , overcoming formidable opponents like Marseille and Lyon. Currently, the club sits in 8th position in the league standings.

Rennes Key Statistics

 

• A minimum of two goals have been scored in 10 of the team’s last 11 French Championship matches.
• Rennes boasts a 16-match home streak without a draw in this tournament (9 wins, 7 losses).
• The club has found the net in 6 of their last 7 home games in .

Rennes Predicted Lineup (3-5-2)*

Brice Samba – Anthony Rouault, Jérémy Jacquet, Alidu Seidu – Quentin Merlin, Seko Fofana, Valentin Rongier, Ludovic Blas, Mahdi Camara – Breel Embolo, Esteban Lepaul. 

Rennes Team News

Defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal and midfielder Glen Camara are currently sidelined due to injuries. The participation of midfielder Valentin Rongier in the upcoming match remains uncertain.

Lens Team Analysis

Pierre Sage’s squad has navigated the initial phase of the season with a commendable, albeit not flawless, performance. In their last league outing, the team secured a dominant victory over a strong Lille side, who had remained undefeated in the championship until that point. Lens themselves have experienced two defeats in five matches, but these losses occurred in high-profile encounters against Lyon and PSG. The remaining three games have resulted in victories, placing the club in 7th position in the league table with 9 points. 

Lens Key Statistics

• Lens’s uncompromising streak in the championship has now extended to 6 matches (4 wins, 2 losses).
• At least two goals have been scored in 10 of the club’s last 11 matches.
• The team has conceded goals in 9 of their last 11 previous tournament encounters.

Lens Predicted Lineup (3-4-3)*

Robin Resser – Jonathan Gradit, Samson Baidoo, Malang Sarr – Ruben Aguilar, Adrien Thomasson, Mamadou Sangaré, Matthieu Udol – Florian Thauvin, Wesley Saïd, Rayan Fofana. 

Lens Team News

Key defender Deiver Machado is unavailable for the game due to an injury.

Referee Profile

Bastien Dechepy (France)

Matches officiated – 15 (, 2024/25–2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 63;

Average yellow cards per match – 4.2;

Red cards shown – 1;

Average fouls per match – 26;

Penalties awarded – 53%.

Rennes vs Lens: Match Prediction

Rennes, known for their combative style, rarely succumb easily. In the current campaign, Habib Beye’s charges have registered only one defeat. However, unlike other clubs that have also lost just one of their five league matches, the Bretons find themselves in the middle of the table rather than among the leaders. This is largely due to Rennes’ limited number of outright victories. While not a new issue, last season the team alternated successful outings with defeats; this season, they are frequently drawing. The Bretons have failed to win in 6 of their last 9 matches (2 draws, 4 losses). Furthermore, they are set to face a challenging opponent, as Rennes has been unable to defeat Lens in their last 10 head-to-head league encounters (5 draws, 5 losses). Lens’ resilience is evident in the fact that the club has suffered only two defeats in their last eight matches overall, with five of these fixtures ending in victory for them. Considering their away performance, Lens has secured at least one point in five of their last seven road games in the French championship. Additionally, Lens maintains an unbeaten streak of five matches against Rennes at Roazhon Park in (2 wins, 3 draws). Given these trends, we anticipate the visitors will uphold their consistent patterns in this match. Our prediction is for Lens to win or draw. * The starting lineup listed for each team represents their formation in their previous match in this tournament.