Nantes host bitter Brittany rivals Rennes at La Beaujoire for the Breton derby this Saturday at 5pm CET. Les Canaris look reborn since the reappointment of Antoine Kombouaré at the helm. Nantes, who were in free fall under the guidance of Jocelyn Gourvennec, have won two of their last three Ligue 1 games, giving them breathing space in their quest for survival. Les Canaris are 14th and a second win on the bounce, a week after their dramatic last-minute away victory against relegation-battling Le Havre, would bring them closer to safety.
Against Les Rouge et Noir, Kombouaré won’t be able to rely on in-form Rennes loanee Matthis Abline for obvious reasons. In its place, the Nantes manager may be tempted to reward Kader Bamba, whose injury-time effort against Le Havre may prove to be Les Canaris‘ most vital goal of the season. The former PSG manager has little room for choice in the attacking department with Lyon loanee Tino Kadewere only returning for injury and Nigeria international winger Moses Simon set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
Two former Premier League midfielders – Pedro Chirivella and Moussa Sissoko – are both set to start for Nantes against Rennes.
Nantes likely lineup v Rennes
Alban Lafont; Kelvin Amian, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nicolas Pallois, Jean-Kevin Duverne; Pedro Chirivella, Douglas Augusto, Florent Mollet, Moussa Sissoko, Kader Bamba; Mostafa Mohamed (OF)
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
