Marseille Vs Rennes
Marseille Vs Rennes Wednesday 10th March 2021 – 18:00 (BT Sport)
French Ligue 1
Pick: Draw
Odds: 21/10
Bookmaker: Betway
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 8th March 2021)
Preview: Plenty of the pre-match focus will fall on the respective managers, both of whom are taking charge of their first competitive fixtures for their new clubs, as Marseille and Rennes contest their game-in-hand at the Stade Velodrome.
French Ligue 1 Betting at Bet365
Table of Contents
Marseille – Can Sampaoli hit the ground running?
Come kick-off there should be a new L’OM manager installed at the Stade Velodrome. Former Argentina national team coach Jorge Sampaoli is set to be unveiled as Andre Villas-Boas’ permanent replacement sometime on Tuesday, after the Portuguese was suspended and then dismissed in early February – but not before tending his resignation first. The new man at the helm certainly appears to have his work cut out.
Amid the rubble is a team with potential. Marseille (W10 D9 L8) started 2020/21 like a team with genuine ambitions on the title, winning eight of their first twelve fixtures. They resume on Wednesday in eighth, however, five points off the top-five after a run of two wins in fifteen league games (W2 D6 L7). There was also further humiliation on Sunday, beaten by fourth-tier Canet Roussillon in the French Cup.
Their home form has also been questionable (last five: W1 D1 L3), although did improve under interim manager Nasser Larguet. The Moroccan recently overseeing a 3-2 win over Nice and the 1-1 draw with title aspirants Lyon. Yet that aforementioned success against mid-table Nice remains their sole win across the previous ten Ligue 1 fixtures (W1 D4 L5), the latest a 2-0 reverse away at top-of-the-table Lille.
Rennes – Genesio to fix Les Rouge et Noir rot?
Another club who recently made moves in the managerial department were Rennes (W10 D8 L9), who have already replaced the departing Julien Stephan with former Lyon coach Bruno Genesio. The former will always be revered around these parts for his role in bringing them Champions League football, but departed Brittany on a sour note, overseeing one win in his final nine Ligue 1 games in charge.
Consequently, Genesio inherits a side presently in free-fall. Six points adrift of fifth-placed Metz and the European places after failing to win in seven (D2 L5), losing the last four on the spin. They’ve rattled in just three goals during this barren period, two coming from summer acquisition Martin Terrier, and fired a blank in two of the past three away from home with the latest last Wednesday’s 1-0 reverse at Lyon.
A positive, however, will be their 2-1 success in this season’s reverse fixture. That a first win in six Ligue 1 meetings with Marseille. Furthermore, Les Rouge et Noir would avoid defeat on all three of their recent visits to Stade Velodrome, with a 3-1 victory in September 2017 preceding 2-2 and 1-1 stalemates. Some encouragement, then, as they seek out a sixth away league win of 2020/21 (W5 D5 L3).
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Marseille Vs Rennes Betting Advice
With both sets of players still learning the ropes under new managers, it is difficult to know what to expect from either of these teams – both of whom are hopelessly out of form and may require some time before rediscovering their groove. This naturally lends to the possibility of Wednesday’s encounter ending in a share of the spoils, which is how the previous two renewals at the Stade Velodrome went (1-1 in 2018/19 & 2-2 in 2019/20).
Marseille Vs Rennes – Key Facts:
- Wins have proven scarce for both these teams. Marseille with one from their previous 11 Ligue 1 matches (W1 D5 L5). Rennes, meanwhile, are winless in seven (D2 L5).
- 10 of the 13 Ligue 1 fixtures hosted by Marseille in 2020/21 featured both teams among the goals, while Rennes seen this bet land in 6 of their 13 away fixtures thus far.
- In Ligue 1 meetings held at Stade Velodrome, Rennes remain unbeaten in the last three (W1 D2) with all of these encounters seeing both teams hit the back of the net.
This fixture, particularly when held here in Marseille, has typically thrown up goals, though, with four of the past five Stade Velodrome meetings – including the last three – all seeing both teams net. With Marseille struggling to keep the opposition out (one Ligue 1 clean sheet in last eleven attempts), and with 10 of 13 Marseille home games this season seeing both teams score, that bet holds obvious appeal once more.
Best Betting Odds – Marseille Vs Rennes
Marseille – 7/4 (BetVictor)
Draw – 21/10 (Betway)
Rennes – 9/5 (Betway)
