Stade Rennes vs Toulouse Prediction: Can Rennes Recover at Home or Will Toulouse Extend Their Unbeaten Run?

As Ligue 1 approaches Matchday 11, Stade Rennes and Toulouse will go head-to-head in an important mid-table fight that will set a trend for the rest of the season. Both are separated by a point in the table, with Toulouse ahead in 12th place and Rennes in 13th place after its poor streak of recent results. Both teams seek a way through to the top half of the table, and immediately this is a good chance for Rennes to come back to winning ways at home after a thumping 4-0 defeat to Auxerre. This is going to be an intriguing contest given their contrasting tactical setup and recent form.

Rennes comes into this desperate to bounce back from a poor run where they won only once in the last five matches. The last outing-a demoralizing 4-0 loss at Auxerre-cast aspersions on their defensive setup and cohesion. Julien Stephan has tried to stabilize the frailties at the back, but faces the onerous task of reinvigorating morale and tactical discipline in his squad. Rennes have been able to dominate possession, but that has failed to materialize into effective attacking play.

However, Toulouse has been in more consistent form with two wins, one draw, and two losses in their last five games, the latest being a 1-0 win over Reims. Under manager Carles Martinez, Toulouse have embraced an energetic 3-4-3 shape, focusing on high-pressing and organized counter-attacks. Toulouse have not lost any of their last three matches against Rennes, making them have a slight edge psychologically coming into this game.

Stade Rennes: Under Stephan, Rennes will most likely lineup in their regular 4-1-4-1 formation. The frame of this setup is predicated around sound possession football, which has often enabled them to take control of the pace of games while presenting opportunities for their wide midfielders and advanced central midfielders to create goal-scoring chances. The difficult task is trying to improve their decision-making in the final third, having created only two big chances despite 61% possession in the last game. Rennes only managed four shots on target against Auxerre; the hope is that the shots will be more clinical if they are going to put a dent in the Toulouse backline.

Toulouse: Toulouse line up in a 3-4-3 formation, in which flexibility in attack is combined with solidity in defense. Under Martinez, the wingbacks give width to make the overlapping runs, allowing Toulouse to press high without being at the risk of being left exposed at the back. Still, their defense would do well not to allow Rennes to dictate the pace of the game; too much ground conceded may result in sustained attacks that could wear them down. Heading into the match, Toulouse's tactical aim would be to absorb the attacks from Rennes while capitalizing on quick transitions to exploit spaces that the Rennes midfield has opened up.

Rennes lead in the last 20 meetings between them; they have beaten Toulouse nine times as Toulouse secured seven wins, and four matches ended in draws. Of late, though, Toulouse have given Rennes a run for their money, unbeaten in the last three head-to-head between these two sides. When the two teams last met in April, Toulouse emerged winners 2-1. In fact, this fixture has predominantly seen high-scoring matches, with over 2.5 goals in five out of the last seven and both teams finding target practice on eight occasions in the last ten matches.

Recent struggles with form and inconsistency at the back could prove costly here for Rennes. While their possession-based style is formidable, it has not often enough this season been transformed into clear-cut chances, and last Sunday's game showed vulnerabilities to quick counter-attacks-a weakness Toulouse will surely look to exploit. Stephan's side has shown an ability to boss possession with ease but often lacks that clinical penetration through a compact defense, evident throughout this recent run of matches. They will need to make full use of set pieces and any attacking play afforded to them by their wide players.

On the other hand, Toulouse has been more organized and disciplined, especially in away games. Martinez's tactics allow them to press high up the field without necessarily leaving much space at the back, which has seen them concede fewer chances on goal. Recent form has shown their capability of challenging Rennes' defense, mostly when they can control midfield and keep Rennes' buildup plays under pressure. More importantly, with Rennes' recent defensive errors and inconsistency in scoring, Toulouse will hope to keep this run going and capitalize on their momentum.

• 3 Way Total Over 2 Goals @ 2.118 Odds
• GG (yes) @ 1.82 Odds
• Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.00 Odds