Preview: Saturday’s Ligue 1 Action

Montpellier vs. Rennes

Montpellier enters the match against Rennes with key players on international duty at the Asian Cup or Africa Cup of Nations. Despite being short-handed, La Paillade must find a way to secure points, given they are three points ahead of the relegation playoff spot, which Olympique Lyonnais currently occupies.

Michel Der Zakarian and his team face a formidable task against Rennes, one of the most in-form teams in Ligue 1. Les Rouge et Noir are riding a six-game unbeaten streak, having netted two or more goals in five of their last six matches across all competitions. 

A win against Montpellier would put Rennes in a favorable position in the Ligue 1 table as several clubs compete for prized European competition spots next season.

Nantes vs. Lens

Moses Simon won’t feature for Nantes, and Lens will be without Abdukodir Khusanov and Morgan Guilavogui. Each team will be without key players as they represent their respective national teams in either the Asian Cup or AFCON.

Nantes is searching for crucial points, holding a three-point lead over the relegation playoff spot. To avoid a relegation battle, Les Canaris must capitalize on their home matches and rediscover their scoring prowess. In their last ten Ligue 1 games, Nantes has scored only four goals.

Lens will present a strong challenge in terms of scoring, as Les Sang et Or have maintained a clean sheet in nine out of their last 13 Ligue 1 matches. Franck Haise and his team conceded only seven goals during this impressive defensive run. On the attacking front, Lens is in good form, having scored at least two goals in their last five matches across all competitions.