Stade Rennes vs Strasbourg Alsace 25 October 2026 Prediction

Estéban Lepaul scored a hat trick of penalties last weekend, but Rennes still lost 4-3 to Paris FC. They now host Strasbourg, who have lost three straight Ligue 1 matches. Can Rennes take advantage and hand the visitors a fourth consecutive defeat?

Rennes: Three Wins in Four Home League Games

Rennes beat Auxerre 4-1 after the international break before losing to Paris FC. They have won three of their four Ligue 1 home games and rank second in the league for expected goals (14.68 xG), behind only PSG (19). Their defense has been less reliable: Rennes have kept two clean sheets in 10 matches across Ligue 1 and the Europa League.

Rennes also drew 2-2 away to Juventus in the Europa League this week. Bad weather in western France forced them to spend an extra night in Italy, cutting into their recovery time before this match. Manager Franck Haise used a rotated lineup against Juventus and rested some regular starters. Rennes led but conceded twice. Lepaul missed that game with an ankle injury. He is expected to be in the squad, though a start looks unlikely.

Strasbourg: Three Straight Losses and Defensive Absences

Strasbourg have lost three straight matches and three of their four league away games. They scored first against both Nice and PSG but went on to lose 2-1 and 3-1, respectively. Hugo Oliveira’s side remain outside the relegation zone, although their 5.71 expected points (xPts) rank last in Ligue 1. They have scored 12 goals in seven rounds from 8.24 xG, the league’s second-lowest figure.

Personnel losses could make it harder to end that run. With Doukouré unavailable, Mitchell and Coulibaly may have to play together in central defense. Nanasi’s absence also limits Strasbourg’s passing options in attack. He has two assists this season. That could matter if the visitors fall behind and need to create chances.

Rennes vs Strasbourg Predicted Lineup

Rennes (4-3-3): Samba; Frankowski, Cresswell, Rouault, Reynolds; Szymański, Cissé, Thomasson; Blas, Dia, Soumaré.

Questionable: Lepaul (ankle).

Manager: Franck Haise.

Strasbourg (4-2-3-1): Jørgensen; Antwi, Mitchell, Coulibaly, Oso; Diop, Essugo; Yassine, Reyna, Amo-Ameyaw; Harder.

Out: Nanasi, Panichelli (injured). Questionable: Doukouré, Godo, Baldé.

Manager: Hugo Oliveira.

Referee: Ruddy Buquet.

Buquet generally lets play continue and issues relatively few yellow cards. He averaged 2.83 per match last season and 3.5 this season. In the Marseille vs Strasbourg match, he showed four yellow cards, three of them to Strasbourg players.

Rennes vs Strasbourg Prediction: Rennes Handicap -1.5

Main pick: Rennes have won three of four home league games, while Strasbourg have lost three of four on the road. The visitors have also lost their last three matches, and Doukouré’s potential absence would leave them without a key defender. Rennes won last season’s two meetings 4-1 and 3-0. Despite their midweek Europa League trip, the hosts are the pick: Rennes -1.5 at 2.70.

Goals pick: At least four goals have been scored in five of Rennes’ seven league matches, which average 4.14 goals. Strasbourg’s matches average 3.86, and their defensive absences could give Rennes more opportunities. The additional pick is over 3.5 goals at 2.06.