Ligue 1
Stade Rennais vs Paris Saint-Germain Preview
Rennes host PSG in a repeat of the 2019 Coupe de France Final.
- Date: Sunday, August 18, 2019
- Time: 3:00 p.m. (EST)
- Network: beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS CONNECT
- Location: Rennes, France
- Venue: Stade de la Route de Lorient
- Capacity: 29,778
Rennes and Paris Saint-Germain will meet in the second round of matches of the 2019/20 Ligue 1 season this Sunday. Both sides won their opening games with PSG convincingly beating newcomers Nimes 3-0, while Rennes secured a 1-0 away win against Montpellier. With Neymar unrest at PSG currently being the talk of the town, Rennes can hopefully strike when the iron is hot and get a surprise win.
Team News
Stade Rennais will be without forward Flavien Tait after he received a red card for his off-the-ball shoulder on Montpellier’s Pedro Mendes. With Tait’s suspension, ex-AC Milan player M’Baye Niang will be the main man upfront while proving as the central outlet for veteran playmaker Clement Grenier to utilize. Rennes will be without center back Ramy Bensebaini as he left for Borussia Möchengladbach in an $8.7 million deal.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel has a fully fit team to pick from after his sides’ 3-0 demolition of Nimes last weekend. With the Neymar saga continuing to rumble on, the Brazilian looks set to miss out again. However with Kylian Mbappé, Edinson Cavani and Angel Di María at his disposal, Tuchel will not be losing sleep over his front line. Abdou Diallo played well in his Ligue 1 debut and will look to continue the same type of form.
Ones To Watch
As always, Mbappé is always a player that excites fans whether they be neutral or not. The 20-year-old scored a remarkable 33 goals in 29 Ligue 1 games last season. With Neymar departing soon, the World Cup winner will be the main man for the French giants. Argentinian winger Angel Di María is the centerpiece of PSG’s chance creation. After registering 12 goals and 11 assists in the previous campaign, Di María will surely be heavily marked by the Rennes defense.
Former Marseille and Lyon player Jérémy Morel provides resilience with much-needed experience at the helm of Rennes’ defensive five. While providing defensive cover, Morel is also a possible threat from set-pieces which was seen last weekend with his goal against Montpellier. Although only 28, Clément Grenier has been in the spotlight for many years. Breaking through as an 18-year-old at Lyon, Grenier has always shown his talents despite being thwarted by injuries throughout his career. Expect him to be the focal point of Rennes attacking plays.
Stade Rennais vs Paris Saint-Germain: Facts and Figures
- Rennes are currently on the second-longest unbeaten run in Ligue 1 with three wins and three draws.
- PSG have only lost one of their last 16 Ligue 1 games in the month of August; the last being the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Monaco in August 2016.
- The Stade de la Route de Lorient is somewhat of a fortress; Rennes have only lost once in the last 12 games there.
Written by Jacob Robson
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