Rennes vs Ajaccio Prediction: Red and Black to win

Rennes will face Ajaccio in round 3 of the French Ligue 1 on August 21 at 18:05 (UTC+3). The teams haven’t played each other for over eight years, so what should we expect from the upcoming encounter?

Rennes

Rennes is a consistent contender for the top 5 in the French championship, but last season they just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League. Yes, the Rennais often fail to retain some key players, but the team's backbone remains, and the work in the transfer market helps make up for it. This summer, Rennes brought on Arthur Theate, Steve Mandanda, and Joe Rodon; all three have been in the starting lineup. Arnaud Kalimuendo, who scored 12 goals for Lens in the last French championship, recently joined the club. Perhaps the lack of chemistry still affected the results: in the two initial rounds, the Red and Black scored only 1 point. Injuries also played a role. Currently, Lorenz Assignon, Birger Meling, Warmed Omari, and Lovro Majer are in the sick bay, with the latter having scored six goals and made eight assists in the last Ligue 1 draw. The participation of Steve Mandanda is questionable.

Bruno Génésio's charges sensationally lost to Lorient (0-1) in the opening round, and Rennes yielded to Les Merlus in the number of sharp moments, so the result looks legitimate. The Rennais could have gotten their first win last week against Monaco, but having one more player, they could not hold on to the winning score, 1-1. Rennes was outnumbered in the middle of the first half, but even so, the team allowed their opponent too much. Playing against ten Monegasque, the Red and Black could have conceded 2-3 goals, but the goalkeeper saved. At the same time, the missed goal turned out to be a curiosity: the goalkeeper fumbled with the ball and the opponent took advantage of a rough error by Dogan Alemdar.

Ajaccio

Ajaccio was perhaps the most boring team in Ligue 2 last season, scoring just 39 goals in 38 games, but that didn't stop them from advancing. Since then, the Bears starting line-up has been renewed by about half, and the club now has many veterans: Romain Hamouma, Thomas Mangani, and Mickael Alphonse are well into their 30s. With such a situation, it will be challenging to gain a foothold in Ligue 1, but the absence of serious losses is good for now. Romain Hamouma did not play due to his suspension in the last matchday, but now he is ready to take to the field.

In the absence of Hamouma, Olivier Pantaloni's men played a 0-0 home draw with Lens. Even at home, Ajaccio could not create anything in front of the opponent's goal, while the other side had an opportunity to take the lead on several occasions. In total, the Bears had only nine goal attempts, twice on goal. Ajaccio currently have just one point on their books: before the draw with Lens, the team lost on the road to Lyon, 1-2.

Head-to-head encounters

In the last six head-to-head encounters, Rennes defeated Ajaccio 3 times and suffered two defeats. In the last meeting, the Red and Black lost on the road with a score of 1-3; it happened in February 2014. Since then, the squads have been completely renewed.

Key stats

• Rennes won the last seven out of ten home matches, losing three;
• Ajaccio lost three of the last five matches on the road;
• Rennes did not concede in two of the last ten matches.

Expert Betting Tips

Ajaccio have not been very creative offensively when they played in Ligue 2; not much has changed in the top flight. Even at home, the Bears could not oppose Lens. Their current opponent will be even more serious. Rennes is stalling at the start of the championship, but this has happened to them, and they somehow managed to solve the problems. The Rennais have problems in defense, but Ajaccio is not the kind of opponent who can take advantage of these vulnerabilities. Rennes already looked better against Monaco than they did in the opening game against Lorient, and they should improve at home. I suggest betting on the following outcomes:

• HT/FT W1/W1 for 1.99;
• Total Over (2.5) for 1.90;
• Correct Score 3-0 for 9.00.

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