Marseille vs. Rennes Prediction, Match Preview and Betting Tips, 17 May 2025 - bettingexpert

As we prepare for the final round of Ligue 1 action, Marseille host Rennes at the iconic Stade Orange Vélodrome. This match is crucial for Marseille, sitting in second place with 62 points, and securing a direct Champions League spot under the guidance of Roberto De Zerbi. Rennes, positioned 11th with 41 points, have no discernible objectives left for the season, yet they’ll aim to finish on a high.

Both teams come into the game in contrasting forms. Marseille’s recent record (WDWWL) shows strong attacking displays, spurred by Amine Gouiri and top scorer Mason Greenwood. Despite their offensive prowess, they’ve struggled with clean sheets, not keeping one in their last five matches.

Rennes, meanwhile, have been inconsistent (WLLWW). They boast a potent attacking option in Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga, who has 17 goals this season, but defensive lapses have cost them dearly.

Given Marseille’s need for a win to solidify their league position, a recommended bet is Marseille (-1) (EH). The hosts are bookmaker favourites with odds of 1.75 for a win, while the odds for a draw and Rennes win stand at 4.04 and 4.14, respectively.

Referee Jérémie Pignard, known for issuing only 0.2 red cards on average in his 17 matches this season, will oversee the encounter.

With all this, expect a competitive match where Marseille’s superior form and home advantage might just edge out Rennes.

Marseille vs Rennes Prediction & Betting Tip

Recommended betting tip: Marseille (-1) (EH)

This recommended bet means Marseille needs to win by more than one goal for it to be successful.

Marseille vs Rennes Prediction
Betting tip	Odds
Marseille (-1) (EH)	1.75

Here’s why this prediction looks solid:

• Home Advantage: Marseille is playing at home, which traditionally gives them a boost in performance.
• Current Form: Marseille’s recent offensive form is impressive, with an average of 2.60 goals scored in the last five games.
• Motivation and Stakes: Being second in the league, Marseille has a crucial objective to ensure their direct Champions League qualification, whereas Rennes has no significant objective left this season.

Expect an exciting match with Marseille’s home advantage likely to play a significant role.

Marseille vs Rennes Odds

Marseille vs Rennes Betting Odds
Bet	Odds
Marseille	1.75
Draw	4.04
Rennes	4.14

Marseille enters the match as the clear favourites, with bookmakers offering odds of 1.75 for a home win, reflecting their strong form and home advantage. A draw is seen as less likely, at 4.04, while a Rennes win carries odds of 4.14, acknowledging their mid-table position and lack of significant stakes in this game. These odds suggest high confidence in Marseille’s ability to secure a positive result on home turf. Expect the hosts to push hard for a win to maintain their second-place standing in Ligue 1.

Marseille Team Analysis

Marseille Recent Performance

• Always include the last 5 matches
• Recent Form: A concise way of representing a team’s last 5 matches (e.g., WWLWD)
• Write a relevant text about the recent performances
• Include information like {Home team average goals scored}, {Home team clean sheets} and other relevant information from “Match details”
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• Use a table that show {Away team last5 results} in the provided order
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  Home team	Away team	Date	Competition	Result
  Sevilla	Manchester United	2025-03-02	FA Cup	2-2 (Draw)
  Manchester United	Brighton	2025-02-26	Premier League	0-0 (Draw)
  Manchester City	Manchester United	2025-02-23	Premier League	2-1 (Loss)
  Manchester United	Lyon	2025-02-15	Europa League	1-0 (Win)
  Manchester United	Arsenal	2025-02-08	Premier League	2-0 (Win)
  end of table example (IMPORTANT: After completing the table above, add 2 linebreaks before proceeding to the next sentence or bullet points.)

• Use linebreaks often to break up the text and make it easy to read.

Home team	Away team	Date	Competition	Result
Le Havre	Marseille	2025-05-10	Ligue 1	1-3 (Win)
Lille	Marseille	2025-05-04	Ligue 1	1-1 (Draw)
Marseille	Brest	2025-04-27	Ligue 1	4-1 (Win)
Marseille	Montpellier	2025-04-19	Ligue 1	5-1 (Win)
Monaco	Marseille	2025-04-12	Ligue 1	3-0 (Loss)

Marseille’s recent form has been strong, with a record of three wins, one draw, and one loss in their last five games, depicting a solid WDWWL form.

Under coach Roberto De Zerbi, the team has averaged 2.60 goals per match in their last five fixtures, showcasing a potent attack. However, they’ve struggled to maintain clean sheets during this period.

Key results include a decisive 5-1 victory over Montpellier and a 3-1 win against Le Havre, demonstrating the team’s offensive capabilities even though their defense needs tightening up.

Marseille Key Players

Marseille features a number of standout players who will play crucial roles in their upcoming match against Rennes. Mason Greenwood, the team’s top scorer, has netted 19 goals this season and is a constant threat in attack. Amine Gouiri, coming off an excellent recent performance, has shown he can be equally dangerous. Another key player is Adrien Rabiot, who provides creativity and control in the midfield.

Expected lineup for Marseille:

• Goalkeeper: Geronimo Rulli
• Defenders: Michael Murillo, Derek Cornelius, Leonardo Balerdi, Ulisses Garcia
• Midfielders: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Valentin Rongier, Mason Greenwood, Adrien Rabiot, Jonathan Rowe
• Forward: Amine Gouiri

Keep an eye on the battles between Greenwood and Rennes’ defenders, as well as Rabiot’s duel in the midfield.

Marseille Suspensions & Injuries

Marseille is dealing with a few injury concerns going into their match against Rennes, which could impact their squad depth and tactical planning.

Player	Injury	Expected return
Ruben Blanco	Knee injury	Late May 2025
Valentin Rongier	Muscle injury	A few weeks
Ismaël Bennacer	Groin injury	About 1-2 weeks

The absence of key players like Valentin Rongier, a crucial midfielder, may affect Marseille’s midfield stability and creativity. Ismaël Bennacer’s unavailability could weaken their lineup further, especially in terms of defensive midfield options. Ruben Blanco’s knee injury leaves them without an important backup goalkeeper.

These injuries are likely to influence Roberto De Zerbi’s tactical setup and substitutions, particularly in the midfield, where they’ll need to compensate for Rongier and Bennacer.

Marseille Tactics and Formation

• Marseille Tactical Breakdown:
• Formation: Primarily using a 4-2-3-1 system.
• Key Forward: Amine Gouiri.
• Midfield Trio: Mason Greenwood, Adrien Rabiot, and Jonathan Rowe in attacking roles, with Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Valentin Rongier in defensive positions.
• Defensive Setup: Michael Murillo and Ulisses Garcia as full-backs, Derek Cornelius and Leonardo Balerdi as center-backs; Geronimo Rulli in goal.
• Offensive Strategy: High-scoring form recently, with an average of 2.6 goals in the last 5 games. Focuses on quick transitions and exploiting the 61-75 minute period where they often score.
• Challenges: Potential defensive vulnerabilities with no clean sheets in the last five games and key injuries to midfielders like Valentin Rongier and Ismaël Bennacer.

Rennes Team Analysis

Rennes Recent Performance

Rennes have shown mixed results in their recent matches, capturing three wins and two losses.
Their ability to score has been notable, averaging 2.20 goals in the last five games, yet their defense remains somewhat inconsistent with only one clean sheet.
Here’s a breakdown of their recent performance:

Home team	Away team	Date	Competition	Result
Rennes	Nice	2025-05-10	Ligue 1	2-0 (Win)
Toulouse	Rennes	2025-05-03	Ligue 1	2-1 (Loss)
Lyon	Rennes	2025-04-26	Ligue 1	4-1 (Loss)
Rennes	Nantes	2025-04-18	Ligue 1	2-1 (Win)
Le Havre	Rennes	2025-04-13	Ligue 1	1-5 (Win)

Despite their inconsistency, Rennes have demonstrated their potential with significant victories, including a dominant 5-1 win over Le Havre.

Rennes Key Players

Rennes’ squad is filled with talent, but there are a few standout individuals to keep an eye on.
Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga has been a critical player for Rennes, netting an impressive 17 goals this season. His attacking prowess will be key in penetrating Marseille’s defense.
Ludovic Blas is another crucial player, operating from the midfield and contributing significantly to the team’s playmaking.
Mousa Tamari provides speed and creativity on the wings, complementing Kalimuendo in attack.

Expected lineup for Rennes:

• Goalkeeper: Steve Mandanda
• Defenders: Jérémy Jacquet, Anthony Rouault, Lilian Brassier
• Midfielders: Lorenz Assignon, Azor Matusiwa, Djaoui Cisse, Adrien Truffert
• Attackers: Ludovic Blas, Arnaud Kalimuendo, Mousa Tamari

Key individual battles will include Kalimuendo vs Leonardo Balerdi and Blas vs Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. These matchups could significantly impact the game’s outcome.

Rennes Suspensions & Injuries

Player	Injury	Expected return
Alidu Seidu	Cruciate ligament injury	Out for season
Dogan Alemdar	Cruciate ligament injury	Late May 2025
Ayanda Sishuba	Hamstring injury	Late May 2025
Player	Suspension	Expected return
—————-	——————————-	———————
Christopher Wooh	Yellow cards	1 match ban

Injuries have certainly taken their toll on Rennes as they head into this fixture against Marseille. Notably, Alidu Seidu is out for the season due to a cruciate ligament injury, which is a significant blow to their defensive stability. Additionally, Dogan Alemdar and Ayanda Sishuba are sidelined, both eyeing a return late in May. The absence of Christopher Wooh due to suspension also means the defensive line needs reshuffling. These absences could make Rennes’ task of containing Marseille’s potent attack even more challenging. Expect several backups and younger players to be called upon to step up.

Rennes Tactics and Formation

Rennes Tactical Breakdown:

• Formation: 3-5-2
• Key Forward: Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga
• Midfield Trio: Azor Matusiwa, Djaoui Cisse, Adrien Truffert
• Defensive Strength: One clean sheet in the last five games.
• Notable Strategy: Dependence on wing play and crossing.

Rennes have favored a 3-5-2 formation recently, aimed at controlling the midfield and creating width on the flanks. Key forward Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga will be critical in finishing chances, backed by the industrious midfield trio of Azor Matusiwa, Djaoui Cisse, and Adrien Truffert.

Expect Rennes to employ overlapping wing-backs and focus on quick transitions. This setup has yielded mixed results, with their defense showing vulnerability but also a propensity to counter-attack effectively, especially exploiting the wings.

Marseille vs Rennes Head-to-Head Statistics

Home team	Away team	Date	Competition	Result
Rennes	Marseille	2025-01-11	Ligue 1	1-2 (Loss)
Rennes	Marseille	2024-03-17	Ligue 1	2-0 (Win)
Rennes	Marseille	2024-01-21	Coupe de France	1-1 (Penalty shoot-out: 9-8) (Win)
Marseille	Rennes	2023-12-03	Ligue 1	2-0 (Win)
Rennes	Marseille	2023-03-05	Ligue 1	0-1 (Win)

Despite a strong record at home, Marseille have had mixed fortunes in recent meetings. Their last encounter on January 11, 2025, saw them secure a 2-1 victory at Rennes. Earlier clashes include a Coupe de France penalty shoot-out win for Rennes and a 2-0 triumph over Marseille in March 2024.

Odds accurate as of 15.05.2025 20:01, and are subject to change. Please always check the odds before placing your bets with any bookmaker.