With just 23 points from their opening 22 Ligue 1 games, Rennes are having their worst campaign since 2001-02, when they had just 20 points at this stage.

The current crop will look to take inspiration from the fact that Rennes side survived relegation, and eventually finished up in 12th, with this expensively-assembled squad already looking set to move away from trouble.

Despite that heavy spending though, Rennes fell to defeat at home to Lille last weekend, going down 2-0 largely thanks to a red card to Christopher Wooh, which eventually allowed Les Dogues to snatch victory late on.

That result means Rennes have already lost three home games in 2025, and another here would see them lose four of their first five on home soil in a calendar year for the first time since 1987.

New manager Habib Beye oversaw two wins to get his reign underway against Strasbourg and Saint-Etienne, moving them five points clear of Les Verts, who are in the relegation playoff spot, but they must ensure the form seen under Jorge Sampaoli does not return.

Worryingly, Reims are something of a bogey team for Rennes, because the hosts have lost more than half of their Ligue 1 meetings since 2000 (11 in 21 matches), suffering only a higher proportion of defeats against Bastia (58%).

Rennes have beaten Reims in successive seasons at Roazhon Park though, providing them with the opportunity here to win three straight home matches against their upcoming opponents for the first time this century.

Visitors Reims start the weekend one point and one place below their hosts, with their plummet down the standings resulting in the sacking of Luka Elsner at the start of the month.

It was a 2-1 defeat at home to fellow relegation-candidates Nantes that was the final nail in the Slovenian's coffin, but the incoming Samba Diawara has struggled to turn the tide since stepping in.

Reims needed penalties to beat fifth-tier Bourgoin Jallieu in the Coupe de France after a 0-0 draw, and they are still yet to score under Diawara in two league defeats.

Their last away outing saw them suffer a chastening 4-0 defeat at Lyon, before losing 1-0 at home to Angers last time out, which does not bode well for both their relegation fears, and their Coupe quarter-final, which is against Angers this midweek.

Taking just five points from a possible 33, Reims have now lost three in a row, and could lose four straight Ligue 1 matches for the first time in almost five years, with away form deserting them at an important time in the season.

Reims took 12 points from a possible 24 on the road before a recent three-game run that has seen them claim just one point away from home, suggesting they could struggle here.

Rennes possible starting lineup:

Mandanda; Hateboer, I Kone, Brassier; Assignon, James, Cisse, Truffert; Tamari, Kalimuendo, Kyogo

Reims possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Buta, Okumu, Kipre, Akieme; Gbane, Teuma, Am Kone; Ito, Nakamura, Diakhon