Can Lyon and Rennes Produce Another High-Scoring Encounter? Prediction | September 19, 2026
Lyon will host Rennes on September 19 in the fifth round of Ligue 1. Both teams have made strong starts to the campaign, remain unbeaten in the league and have already picked up points in European competition.
Match Preview
Lyon are currently in excellent form and have avoided defeat in their last four matches in all competitions, recording two wins and two draws. Their latest success came in the Europa League, where they beat Anderlecht 2-1 away from home. Lyon had hoped to reach the Champions League but were eliminated by Fenerbahce in qualifying.
Their Ligue 1 campaign has also started positively. Lyon remain unbeaten after four rounds, with two wins and two draws. Their most recent league match ended in a goalless draw against Paris. Lyon currently sit fifth with eight points and a 6:2 goal difference, while their defensive record is among the best in the division.
Lyon have also been reliable at home. Their only home defeat this season came against Fenerbahce in Champions League qualifying, while their most recent match at home ended in a 3-1 victory over Auxerre.
- Possible Lyon Lineup: Greif, Athekame, Bacher, Niakhaté, Abner Vinícius, Bidstrup, Morton, Nuamah, Tolisso, Šulc, Openda
Rennes have also made an impressive start to the campaign. They entered the Europa League directly without having to go through qualifying, allowing them to focus on the opening rounds of Ligue 1. Rennes are unbeaten in the league, starting with a draw against PSG before winning three consecutive matches. Their latest result was a narrow 1-0 home victory over Marseille.
Their Europa League campaign also began positively, with Rennes earning a point after a 0-0 away draw against Sturm Graz. They currently sit third in Ligue 1 with 10 points and an 8:5 goal difference. Rennes have played only one away league match so far, beating Angers.
- Possible Rennes Lineup: Samba, Frankowski, Cresswell, Rouault, Nagida, Camara, Rongier, Thomasson, Blas, Lepaul, Tamari
Head-to-Head
Recent meetings between Lyon and Rennes have been closely contested, with both teams winning four of the last eight encounters. At the same time, these fixtures have regularly produced plenty of goals, with nine of those ten matches ending with more than 2.5 goals and both teams scoring in eight of them.
The trend has been particularly strong when Rennes visit Lyon. The last five meetings at Lyon's home ground all produced more than 3.5 goals, with both teams finding the net on each occasion.
Key Trends
- Lyon are unbeaten in their last 4 matches in all competitions.
- Lyon are unbeaten in all 4 Ligue 1 matches this season.
- Rennes are unbeaten in their last 5 matches.
- Both teams scored in 4 of Lyon's last 5 matches.
- The last 5 meetings between Lyon and Rennes produced more than 2.5 goals.
- Both teams scored in 8 of the last 10 head-to-head meetings.
- The last 5 meetings at Lyon's home ground produced more than 3.5 goals.
Prediction
Both sides arrive in strong form, and neither has shown signs of struggling for confidence at the start of the season. Lyon have the advantage of playing at home and have been particularly solid defensively in Ligue 1, while Rennes have already demonstrated that they can collect positive results away from home. However, the recent history between these teams points towards a very different type of contest. Meetings between Lyon and Rennes have regularly produced goals, with both teams scoring consistently in recent encounters. The pattern has been even stronger at Lyon's home ground, where the last five meetings all featured at least four goals. Lyon's defensive numbers could make this a more difficult test for Rennes, but the visitors have enough attacking quality to create problems for the hosts. With both teams in good form and their recent head-to-head record heavily favouring open matches, another high-scoring encounter looks possible. Recommended Bet: Over 2.5 Total Goals.
