Ligue 1 Matchday 31, Saturday, 26.04.2025 at 21:05
A glance at the table is enough to understand why the bookmakers have sided with the home team. Compared to their opponents, Olympique need every point to qualify for the Europa League again.
In my Lyon Rennes prediction, however, I am focusing more on the possible number of goals that will be scored at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. After all, the visitors are known to be capable of putting up quite a fight!
This was followed by an almost inexplicable 1-2 defeat in Ligue 1 against St. Étienne, which I personally attribute to a drop in tension.
Playing away shortly after such an intense Europa League game against a relegation candidate fighting for survival? That was bound to end in disappointment!
However, Lyon has the big advantage of playing at home and facing a club for whom the season is practically over.
The two opponents are “only” four places apart, but at the same time a whopping 13 points.
With only four Ligue 1 matchdays remaining, Rennes lacks the motivation to go all out – even though Rennes has won three of its last four league games and made a small statement with its recent 2-1 win over Nantes.
It should be a wild game – Lyon need the points at all costs, and they usually tend to give the spectators their money’s worth.
“Over 2.5 goals & both teams to score” is also such a great Lyon Rennes tip because it promises almost 100% success – at least from a statistical point of view.
This is because both of these conditions have been met in each of the “Gones’” last seven competitive games. In five of those games, there were even at least four to six goals scored! So there is potential here for some interesting goal bets.
What clearly speaks in Olympique’s favor is not only their urgent need for points, but also their undeniable home advantage!
Since the start of the season, Lyon has only been defeated in its own football living room by the three top clubs in Ligue 1: Monaco, Marseille, and PSG.
Unfortunately, Rennes is no longer part of this select group of top-class clubs in the current season.
Incidentally, matches between these two teams have often been turbulent. Forget the usual 2.5-goal mark that German bookmakers are so keen to offer!
Interestingly, five of the last seven competitive matches between these two teams have seen between four and six goals scored. This is therefore the ideal breeding ground for my aggressive Lyon Rennes tip!
Trustworthy bookmakers such as VBET Germany have set their in-house Lyon Rennes odds at around 1.78 for a home win.
That’s a value I can just about live with – but I wouldn’t be interested in lower odds, as defeating Rennes will be no walk in the park.
I almost prefer the draw odds of around 4.00. Especially since the Bretons have a great head-to-head record: they won 5 of their last 7 league games against OL.
So it should be an entertaining game with plenty of space for goals and potentially lucrative goal scorer bets.
Since the visitors will be more than just extras, it’s worth taking a look at possible candidates for goals – and one name clearly stands out from the crowd: Arnaud Kalimuendo.
What makes Rennes’ top scorer so special is that he has been outstanding in his last two Ligue 1 away games for the club: 3 goals, 3 assists.
I have therefore circled his current goal ratio of around 2.35 in red on my personal notepad in the Bet365 app.
Conclusion: It should be a fast-paced game. Olympique will most likely have sorted themselves out after two defeats against Manchester United and St. Étienne and will therefore be more energetic at home.
The “Gones” need every point they can get to qualify for Europe, but their opponents are certainly no pushovers.
Rennes will put up a fight and help push the score up.
My Lyon Rennes prediction: Over 3.5 goals.
