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Ligue 1 Preview: Olympique Lyonnais – Stade Rennais

OL are looking to get back on track after a four-game winless run, but they've failed to beat les Rouge et Noir at Stade Gerland for nearly half a decade...

Nov 28, 2009 1:00:44 PM

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Ligue 1 : Lisandro Lopez (Lyon)

Teams

Kick-Off: Sunday, November 29, 2009. 21:00 CET
Stade Gerland, Lyon

There Or There Abouts

It’s not been an easy week for Olympique Lyonnais general manager Claude Puel, who has seen confidence in his role at the helm of the club slide somewhat after a disappointing run of results. Les Gones have not tasted victory in four matches, though this run has certainly not been fatal to the targets that OL have set themselves in recent times.

Qualification from the Champions League has already been booked, but a 1-0 defeat against Fiorentina in midweek has undoubted hampered OL’s chances of topping the group. Again, they still have a chance – a home victory over pointless Debrecen combined with a Liverpool triumph over the Viola, not an unlikely scenario, would see Puel’s men stride through.

Domestically, things are in a similar state – not quite perfect but certainly far from calamitous. Last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Grenoble should be considered a very poor result, but Lyon are still well amongst the congested leading pack, and if they can string together a significant run of wins, they could well find themselves pushing for the front.

Undoubtedly that challenge starts on Sunday, when they meet Rennes in an intriguing fixture. Lyon should have the muscle to get through this game and back on track, but the Breton’s represent dangerous, if under-performing, opponents.

Could Do Better

Situated smack-bang in the middle of the Ligue 1 table, it has been a rather disappointing campaign for Rennes to date. The transition between previous coach Guy Lacombe and new trainer Frederic Antonetti has not been especially smooth, and that has been reflected in the team of late.

Last term Rennes were a steadfast unit, unlikely to concede goals in bursts but not clinical enough to finish teams off. This resulted in a total of 16 draws for the season. But, by the same token, les Rouge et Noir only lost seven games – they are already up to the four loss mark just a third of the way through this campaign.

Uncharacteristic signs have also been in evidence during this autumn. Last term Rennes lost just once at home, this season they have already suffered losses at the Stade de la Route de Lorient to Auxerre and Valenciennes. Not generally as strong away from their tight home stadium, Sunday’s match against Lyon promises to be a real test.

But despite their relative mediocre showing to date, Rennes have a team stocked with plenty of talent all over the pitch. Asamoah Gyan has been in fine goal scoring form, though too many chances still escape him, while the likes of Sylvain Marveaux, Moussa Sow and Jerome Leroy provide excellent support from the middle of the field.

Stade Gerland should hold few fears for the current crop of Rennes players. The club has enjoyed a healthy recent record at the Rhone Valley venue, going four matches unbeaten in league play, though the last three have all been draws.

FORM GUIDE

Lyon

LOST 1-0 (a) Fiorentina (Champions League, Matchday 5, November 24)

DREW 1-1 (a) Grenoble Foot38 (Ligue 1, Matchday 14, November 21)

DREW 5-5 (h) Olympique de Marseille (Ligue 1, Matchday 13, November 8)

DREW 1-1 (h) Liverpool (Champions League, Matchday 4, November 3)

WON 1-0 (a) Saint-Etienne (Ligue 1, Matchday 12, October 31)

Rennes

WON 2-1 (h) Le Mans (Ligue 1, Matchday 14, November 21)

LOST 3-2 (a) Toulouse (Ligue 1, Matchday 13, November 8)

LOST 3-0 (h) Valenciennes (Ligue 1, Matchday 12, November 1)

WON 3-0 (h) Montpellier (Ligue 1, Matchday 10, October 24)

DREW 0-0 (a) Lille (Ligue 1, Matchday 9, October 17)

TEAM NEWS

Lyon

Claude Puel could welcome back Mathieu Bodmer and Anthony Reveillere, who trained towards the end of the week. Not such a happy story can be painted for Jeremy Toulalan, Francois Clerc, Maxime Gonalons and Cleber Anderson, who all continue to miss out due to injuries.

Having played on Tuesday, squad rotation should not be a major priority. Expect Lisandro Lopez to start in attack in place of Bafetimbi Gomis.

Probable Starting XI: Lloris; Reveillere, Cris, Boumsong, Cissokho; Makoun, Kallstrom; Govou, Pjanic, Michel Bastos; Lisandro

Rennes

Central defender Kader Mangane is the only member of the Bretons’ squad to definitely be sidelined for the weekend’s game. There are, however, a number of players with question marks hanging over their heads.

Jerome Leroy is hoping to make his return from injury, but it may just be too soon for him to feature. A similar tale can be told about Jimmy Briand, who returned for the reserves last week but he only reckons he is 70 per cent fit.

Another heavy doubt is Lucien Aubey, who is toiling a little with a training ground knock. This is also the story for Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan.

Probable Starting XI: Douchez; Fanni, Hansson, Bocanegra, Danze; M’Vila, Tettey; Sow, Cheyrou, Marveaux; Gyan

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lyon

In each of their last two games, les Gones have been somewhat lacking in invention from the centre of the field, so expect Miralem Pjanic to be asked to take centre stage. The imaginative young midfielder has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign to date, prompting OL’s movement from the middle of the pitch, and will be required to have a big game on Sunday to dismantle a Rennes defence that is generally well organised.

Rennes

Posted missing due to a serious injury for most of last season, Sylvain Marveaux has shown that he has not lost any of his potential in the early weeks of this campaign. The 23-year-old winger has registered three goals since the beginning of the campaign and has also notched as many assists. A strong runner from the midfield, he will pose a real danger to the hosts.

PREDICTION

This clash is likely to prove something of an unpredictable affair. Lyon have to win to stop their recent rot, but Rennes have also been struggling badly of late and are rarely especially impressive on the road. The Bretons, however, do have a good squad, capable of exploding into life in any game. That will not happen this weekend, with OL running out narrow victors.

Olympique Lyonnais 2-1 Stade Rennais

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

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