Lens vs Rennes prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-08-19 18:45.
Having finished the 2022/23 season just a point behind Ligue 1 winners PSG, Lens know starting their 2023/24 campaign with a defeat could prove costly in the long run. A 3-2 reverse against Brest last weekend was a far from ideal start to the season then, and with the pressures of juggling domestic football with Europe lurking around the corner, Lens will be keen to put as many points on the board as possible before their first UEFA Champions League (UCL) group stage campaign since 2002/03 commences.
Boss Franck Haise insisted his side didn’t look like the Lens people “love” in that defeat as they blew a 2-0 advantage, but given they haven’t lost successive Ligue 1 games since early 2022, he’ll be confident his team can bounce back with a positive result here. A game on home turf should aid that quest, with Lens winning an eye-watering 17 of their 19 home league games last campaign (D1, L1), including a 2-1 victory against Rennes back in August last year.
Rennes definitely didn’t have the same troubles as Lens last weekend as they ran out 5-1 victors against Metz. A four-goal second half blitz was enough to ensure Rennes ended matchday one top of the pile, while the eye-catching result also cemented their position as a real challenger for the UCL spots.
Including the four successive league wins Rennes claimed at the end of last season, the Red and Blacks have now won five-straight Ligue 1 matches – mirroring the five match winning run they pieced together in October 2022. That streak ended with a 1-1 draw, and that result could once again be the best Rennes can hope for here given they’ve won just five of their 44 Ligue 1 away H2Hs (D13, L26).
Players to watch: Florian Sotoca opened the scoring for Lens against Brest, but he may play a more creative role here having assisted in both H2Hs last season. Ibrahim Salah opened his Rennes account last weekend, netting a brace beyond the 85th minute.
Hot stat: Lens led at half-time in a league-high 11 home Ligue 1 games last season.