Rennes – Lorient

Rennes have lost two games in a row. Can he cope with Lorient?

Rennes and Lorient, who face each other in the Breton derby in the 34th round of Ligue 1, are struggling hard at different levels of the standings. Rennes is still trying to climb into second place. It is now third, six points behind Marseille. But more importantly, Rennes have the same number of points as Strasbourg and Monaco, and just two more than Nice, three more than Lens. So it's a tight battle to qualify for the European Cup. Lorient, on the other hand, are struggling to move away from the relegation zone and the zone of the knockout stages. They sit in 15th place. Only three points separate them from the relegation zone, and they are seven points clear of the relegation zone, so they feel more or less safe. In the previous round, Lorient beat Ligue 1's main outsider, Metz, 1-0. Before that, Lorient had very productive matches: defeat by Nice (1-2), victory over Saint-Etienne (6-2) and loss to PSG (1-5). Remarkably, Lorient have consistently scored at least a goal in their last four away matches. Rennes are generally one of the most prolific teams in the French league. Rennes' attacking trio is one of the best in the league: Bourigot, Laborde and Terrier, who has scored 20 goals this season. That said, Rennes have been very unlucky in their last two matches. They lost in succession to Monaco (2-3) and Strasbourg (1-2). In both cases, there were open games with a lot of chances. Before that, Rennes had a five-match unbeaten streak in all competitions. And in Ligue 1, Rennes have scored in their last nine games in a row. But it has also conceded in almost every match. Rennes rely on efficient attacking play to compensate for their poor defensive performance. Lorient operate in a similar style, but at the expense of their less highly skilled players. Lorient's top scorers Moffi and Loriente have just seven and five goals respectively. At home, Rennes have won 11 matches this season, lost four and only once finished in a draw. Lorient have won only two away matches, with five draws and ten defeats. Rennes beat Lorient 2-0 in the first round before defeating them 1-0 in the French Cup as well.