Auxerre vs Rennes Prediction - Ligue 1: A Challenge at Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps
Facing pressure to avoid relegation, Auxerre will host Rennes, who are striving to catch up to the European cup qualification spots, in the late match of Ligue 1's 23rd round at 9:00 PM on February 22nd.
The clash between Auxerre and Rennes in this round is crucial for the home team in their fight against relegation, and also an opportunity for the away team to regain stability after a series of inconsistent performances. Despite the significant difference in league position, the head-to-head history favors the efforts of the team playing at Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps.
Current league position and form
Currently, Rennes sits in 7th place with 34 points after 22 matches. However, their recent form is causing concern, with only 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses in their last 5 games. Rennes' defensive performance is also questionable, having conceded 35 goals since the start of the season, more than they have scored (34 goals).
On the other side of the pitch, Auxerre are ranked 16th with 17 points, a very dangerous position in the bottom group. The home team has only won 4 out of 22 matches. In their last 5 games, Auxerre have had a rather modest performance with 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses. Auxerre's biggest weakness lies in their attack, having only scored 17 goals (an average of 0.8 goals per game).
Head-to-head history: The nemesis of the big teams.
Notably, despite always being the underdog, Auxerre boasts an impressive head-to-head record against Rennes. In their last five encounters, Auxerre has won two, drawn two, and lost only one match against Rennes. Specifically:
- October 19, 2025: Rennes 2 - 2 Auxerre
- April 6, 2025: Rennes 0 - 1 Auxerre
- November 3, 2024: Auxerre 4 - 0 Rennes
- March 11, 2023: Auxerre 0 - 0 Rennes
- September 11, 2022: Rennes 5 - 0 Auxerre
This achievement shows that Auxerre always knows how to make things difficult for Rennes, especially when playing at home at the Stade de l'Abbé Deschamps, where they previously thrashed their opponents 4-0 at the end of 2024.
Force situation and personnel losses
Both teams entered this match with significant personnel losses. The home team, Auxerre, was facing a personnel crisis with six players absent due to injury, including: N. Buayi-Kiala (knee injury), L. Coulibaly, O. El Azzouzi, R. Faivre, F. Sierralta, and T. Siwe.
Rennes also lacked their strongest squad, missing P. Frankowski, G. Kamara, and especially J. Jacquet due to shoulder injuries. These absences forced both coaches to make cautious tactical adjustments to fill the gaps in each line.
Tactical analysis and predictions
Despite Rennes having a stronger squad and better standing, experts rate Auxerre's chances of getting points in this match highly. Auxerre's chances of winning or at least drawing are predicted to be as high as 90% (45% win and 45% draw), while Rennes' chances of winning are only 10%.
With their pragmatic playing style and reliance on their head-to-head record, Auxerre are likely to play defensively, waiting for mistakes from Rennes' not-so-solid defense. This is expected to be a tight match with few goals scored.
Team lineup updated at 20:30 on February 22, 2026
Official lineup
Auxerre
Diagram: 4-3-3
CoachChristophe Pelissier
Starting lineup:
- 16. Donovan Léon (G)
- 27. Lamine Sy (D)
- 20. Sinaly Diomandé (D)
- 24. Bryan Okoh (D)
- 92. Clement Akpa (D)
- 8. Naouirou Ahamada (M)
- 42. Elisha Owusu (M)
- 5. Kevin Danois (M)
- 19. Danny Namaso (F)
- 9. Sékou Mara (F)
- 10. Lassine Sinayoko (F)
Substitutes:
- 40. Théo De Percin
- 22. Fredrik Oppegård
- 29. Marvin Senaya
- 14. Gideon Mensah
- 36. Tidiane Devernois
- 7. Josué Casimir
- 18. Assane Dioussé
- 41. Yvan Zaddy
- 31. Ryan Rodin
Rennes
Diagram: 4-2-3-1
CoachFranck Haise
Starting lineup:
- 30. Rice Samba (G)
- 18. Mahamadou Nagida (D)
- 24. Anthony Rouault (D)
- 3. Lilian Brassier (D)
- 26. Quentin Merlin (D)
- 21. Valentin Rongier (M)
- 45. Mahdi Camara (M)
- 11. Mousa Tamari (M)
- 17. Sebastian Szymański (M)
- 70. Arnaud Nordin (M)
- 9. Esteban Lepaul (F)
Substitutes:
- 50. Mathys Silistrie
- 48. Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal
- 36. Alidu Seidu
- 6. Djaoui Cissé
- 10. Ludovic Blas
- 77. Yassir Zabiri
- 65. Nordan Mukiele
- 69. Henrick Do Marcolino
- 7. Breel Embolo
