Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
Rennes will be aiming to cement their spot in top three when they take on relegation-threatened St Etienne in the Ligue 1 round 35. Les Rouges et Noirs are eyeing their 13th home win of the process, but they will have to prove their worth on the field. Centre-back Nayef Aguerd is banned for the match following his sending off in a 5-0 crushing of Lorient, while all Doku, Gomis, Bade, Sulemana, and Gelin should miss out with injuries.
Les Verts, on the other hand, suffered a heart-breaking loss to Monaco at the weekend, with the team remaining in the relegation zone. St Etienne are eager to get back on course, but given Rennes’ impressive home record, anything but a routine home triumph would be a major surprise. As for the visitors, all Aimen Moueffek, Enzo Crivelli, Falaye Sacko, and Saidou Sow are out of contention with injuries.
Highlighted Player (Jonas Martin):
Born in Besancon on April 9, 1990, Jonas Martin is a French footballer who plays for Strasbourg as a midfielder. Jonas Martin started his youth career at Rigny and after spending four years at the club (1997-2000) he moved to Nimes Olympique in 2000.
Four years later the playmaker joined Montpellier and he made 92 appearances for La Paillade. Martin played 64 games for Montpellier II as well and he spent the 2011/2012 season on loan at Amiens. In the summer of 2016 the French player signed a three-year contract with La Liga team Real Betis and at the end of the season he returned to France, joining Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg.
His main position is central midfielder, but he is capable of playing as both defensive midfielder and attacking midfielder as well. Jonas Martin has one cap for France U19 team, but he has yet to make his debut for the senior team. His contract with Strasbourg expires on June 30, 2020.
Highlighted Team (St Etienne):
Saint Etienne are a professional football club that compete in French Ligue 1. Les Verts were founded in 1919 by employees of a grocery store chain based in Saint Etienne. Saint Etienne wear green shirts and white shorts when playing at home ground and they play their home matches at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
The stadium was opener on 13 September, 1931 and following the renovation the capacity of the venue increased to 42 000. In 1981 les Verts won their tenth Ligue 1 trophy, but they have been in the shadow of Ligue 1 giants Lyon and PSG in the 21st century.
Speaking of the club’s European success, Saint Etienne made it to the European Cup (Champions League) final in 1976, but Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich proved to be a big catch for the French outfit. Anyhow, that is regarded as the club’s biggest success. It has to be noted that the likes of Michel Platini, Jacques Santini, Laurent Blanc and Aime Jacquet all played for Saint Etienne in the past.