Two top sides of the French Ligue 1 will battle out a high-voltage encounter as PSG hosts Rennes to the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
Match Timings: Nov 08, 1:30 AM
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After suffering defeats in their respective Champions League matches, PSG and Rennes are going head to head to fancy their chances in France’s top-flight. The runnerup of 2019-20 made a shaky start to their Champions League campaign in the 2020-21 edition as the French champions lost two of their opening three matches. After losing to United in the opening game, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig at Red Ball Arena.
Christopher Nkunku and Emil Forsberg managed to deliver a victory for the German outfit after Angel Di Maria’s penalty strike in the first half. Idrissa Gueye and Presnel Kimpembe were handed red cards, and Leipzig took advantage against 9-men PSG who were already playing without Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Thomas Tuchel’s men can get back to winning ways as the story is quite different in domestic top-flight. They scored 17 goals and conceded just one in their last four league games. The Capital Outfit is placed at the top, having a two-point gap on Lille. Lille walked away with only one point against Lyon last week, and PSG got the opportunity to retain their top spot.
Meanwhile, Rennes suffered a midweek defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League after securing a 2-1 victory over Brest in Ligue 1. Picking up 18 points from 9 matches, Rennes are just 3 points behind their Saturday rivals, and a win can give them a top-two finish this week.
Julien Stephan's men started the campaign high, but some poor performances in a couple of games put them behind PSG and Lille. Rennes has drawn to Reims and Dijon and lost to Angers in October. The woeful defeat to Chelsea leaves them bottom of Group E in the Champions League.
Possible Lineups & Current Form
Paris Saint-Germain
Lineup: Navas; Florenzi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Bakker; Gueye, Paredes, Herrera; Di Maria, Kean, Sarabia
Ligue 1 form: W W W W W W
Rennes
Lineup: Gomis; Traore, Da Silva, Aguerd, Dalbert; Nzonzi, Bourigeaud, Grenier; Doku, Guirassy, Terrier
Ligue 1 form: W W D D L W
Key Players
Paris Saint-Germain
Angel di Maria
1 goal in Ligue 1 and Champions League 2020-21 each
Moise Kean
2 goals in Ligue 1 and Champions League 2020-21 each
Rennes
Nayef Aguerd
3 goals in Ligue 1 2020-21
Damien De Silva
3 goals in Ligue 1 2020-21
