Our prediction for this Ligue 1 match:
Sunday’s football game between Nice and Rennes will bring down the curtain on day 11 of the new Ligue 1 campaign. Les Aiglons are eyeing their fourth consecutive win in the national championship and they will continue relying on their rock-solid defence. As Nice managed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last five league matches, a low-scoring affair is on the horizon. Youcef Atal is banned for the match, while both Jordan Lotomba and Sofiane Diop miss out with injuries.
Les Rouges et Noirs, on the other hand, aim to put an end to their three-game winless run, but beating the in-form Aiglons at Allianz Riviera is easier said than done. A close encounter is on the cards and we believe that there is a big value in betting on under 2.5 goals. Fit-again forward Martin Terrier is pushing for a start, while midfielder Enzo Le Fee has yet to overcome an ankle injury.
Highlighted Player (Youcef Atal):
The Boghni born Algerian started playing football at the age of ten when he joined CR Belouizdinad's youth academy in 2006. His decade long youth career saw him feature for other more Algerian teams before signing a professional contract with the last one, namely Paradou AC, in 2015.
Atal, who predominantly plays as a right-back, made his first professional appearance on the 9th of January 2016, playing in Paradou's 3-0 over CR Beni Thour in the Coupe d'Algerie. His performances during his 17/18 loan spell at Belgian Club Kortrijk earned him a move to France with OGC Nice in 2018.
At Nice, the 23-year-old has become a valuable first-team player and is on a five-year contract expiring in 2023. On the International stage, Atal has capped 14 times for Algeria, making his debut on the 6th of June, 2017, in a friendly against Guinea.
Highlighted Team (Rennes):
Stade Rennais Football Club or simply Rennes is a French football club which was founded on March 10, 1901. The club is one of the founding members of the French Ligue 1 and they are nicknamed Les Rouges et Noirs. Roazhon Park is the club’s home ground and the venue can hold 29.778 people. Rennes have yet to win the Ligue 1 trophy, but they won Coupe de France title on two occasions (1964/1965, 1970/1971). Speaking of Coupe de la Ligue, les Rouges et Noirs made it to the final of the competition in the 2012/2013 season, but they were beaten by Saint Etienne (1-0) in the title game at Stade de France.
A number of top-class footballers played for Stade Rennais Football Club in the past and the likes of Sylvain Wiltord, Yoann Gourcuff, Yann M’Vila, Moussa Sow and Jimmy Briand are considered the club’s most notable players. Rennes footballers wear black and red jerseys when playing at home, while they wear white when playing on the travels.