St Etienne vs Rennes prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-02-07 20:05.
[p]If Saint-Étienne are to avoid an immediate return to Ligue 2 at the end of this season then their form at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, where they have picked up 16 of their 18 points, is likely to play a key role. Although they were thrashed 4-1 at Lille last Saturday and have not won any of their last four games, Les Verts are unbeaten in their last two home fixtures (W1, D1).[/p]
[p]Three points on Saturday would see the hosts reach six home wins in a top-flight season for the first time since 2018/19 and would end a run of eight Ligue 1 home H2Hs versus Rennes without a victory (D6, L2). Manager Eirik Horneland could also do with the triumph as, after winning his first game in charge 3-1, he is yet to follow up with another success and is still searching for his first clean sheet in the role.[/p]
[p]Conversely, that is exactly what Habib Beye achieved last weekend in his first match at the helm for Rennes when an 89th-minute goal secured a much needed 1-0 victory over in-form Strasbourg. That result ended a run of five successive defeats across all competitions for the Red and Blacks who will begin this fixture two points above their opponents. [/p]
[p]Their perilous position in Ligue 1 saw not only Beye replace Jorge Sampaoli but also prompted an outlay of €74.65m during the January transfer window, a figure only bettered by Manchester City and Al-Nassr! The rest of this campaign will determine if it is money well spent, but for now Rennes fans will be hoping it produces an uptick in their away results after they took only one point from their nine games on the road so far this season.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Although Saint-Étienne have picked up only five points from their last eight games, young Belgian striker Lucas Stassin has found his feet with four goal contributions (G3, A1) in his last six Ligue 1 appearances. Ludovic Blas got the late winner against Strasbourg on Sunday and has been involved in seven goals against Saint-Étienne (G4, A3) across his last six H2Hs, including two assists and a goal in November’s reverse fixture.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Rennes have won four of the last five H2Hs with a clean sheet.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tom Penn[/i][/p]