A weight poster at the end of this 36e Ligue 1 day. Bruno Genesio’s Stade Rennais, used in recent weeks to play its matches at the very beginning of the afternoon, finds this Sunday (9 pm) an evening program for the reception of PSG. A crucial match for both teams, who, in the home stretch of the championship, still fuel ambitions of Europe for Rennes, title in Ligue 1 for the Parisians. The reasons for following this meeting:
Because Rennes is always chasing Europe, and Paris after the title
With the defeat of Lens in the derby against Lille Friday, and the setback this Sunday of Olympique de Marseille against Saint-Étienne, the slightest point scored by Rennes would be a unit of recovery over their two main opponents in the race for Europe, while only two days of the championship remain. If successful against the Parisians, the Rouge et Noir could even overtake the Sang et Or and the Marseillais, and find a Top 5 in which they have not appeared since the 25e day.
From Europe, it is also a question for the Parisians, who aim to bounce back immediately after their elimination in the semi-finals of the Champions League against Manchester City on Tuesday. But beyond that, the main stake for Neymar’s teammates directly concerns the championship: PSG must win so as not to let Lille escape at the top of Ligue 1. In case of defeat, Pochettino’s men would point four lengths from the Northerners at the end of this 36e day, a delay that could prove crippling in the race for the title. And the specter of a white season would approach a little more, even if the PSG also remain in contention in the Coupe de France.
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Because without Nzonzi and Camavinga, Genesio will have to innovate
What is certain is that the midfield battle will not look like, this Sunday evening, what it should have been, in continuity with the compositions aligned this season by Rennes and Parisians. Without Eduardo Camavinga, suspended for accumulation of yellow cards, and Steven Nzonzi, sanctioned with a red card in Bordeaux last week, Bruno Genesio is deprived of his two usual midfield holders. Among the options: tenure the experienced Clément Grenier, in a position he does not particularly like, bring down Flavien Tait, or even throwing young Lesley Ugochukwu into the deep end (17 years old), product of the training center.
On the Parisian side, the situation will not be the same either, with the announced package of Marco Verratti, affected in the right knee. An absence which is cumulative with that in attack of Kylian Mbappé, suspended.
Offensively, a show in anticipation
The figures are there: since the arrival of Bruno Genesio, the Rouge et Noir have regained momentum and offensive efficiency. With 15 goals in eight matches, Rennes are currently averaging around 1.9 goals per league game, against an average of around 1.2 goals per match with Julien Stéphan this season. In the wake of Martin Terrier, who has doubled his statistics since the arrival of Genesio (5 goals, three assists, against four goals and four assists over the rest of the year) and a Doku in great shape, the Bretillians take care of their goal-average. But they remained silent in Bordeaux last week, for a defeat synonymous with a very bad operation, and this opposition against PSG will be a test of their offensive creation capacities, even if the absences of Nzonzi and Camavinga could weigh heavily in the construction of the Rennes game.
Opposite, the Parisians are the most prolific attack of the season (79 goals), and have, in recent years, used to achieve real offensive festivals after elimination in the Champions League. With a Neymar certainly full of envy after the announcement of his extension, and a vengeful Di Maria after his expulsion against City, PSG should offer a lot of work to the Rennes goalkeeper Alfred Gomis, not always reassuring in recent weeks, of which he will be interesting to observe the performance against the Parisian armada.
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