Rennes and Nice will be looking to return to winning ways in Ligue 1 when they face each other at Roazhon Park on matchday 17. Rennes were defeated three goals to one by Reims on their return to top-flight action after a six-week break for the World Cup, while Nice played a goalless draw against Lens.
Rennes will be keen to bounce back quickly in their quest for a top-three place, and they will be optimistic about securing maximum points in front of their fans. They remain in contention to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with just two points separating them from Marseille in third.
Meanwhile, Nice currently sit ninth in the top-flight standings, eight points clear of the relegation zone, and nine behind the European positions. They have scored 15 and conceded 17 goals in 16 matches played.
We now look at some of the stats for both teams in comparison to each other for the current season.
Overall performances this season
The above viz shows the percentile rank of the home team in comparison to other Ligue 1 teams. Rennes have improved a lot this season and are currently heading towards European glory in terms of securing a spot that gives them a chance to compete in European competition. They have become a high goal-scoring team, and their percentile rank is high in the attacking department. Rennes are very strong when it comes to goals per 90. In defence, they are efficient in terms of pressing and rank at the 85.7 percentile for a high pressing success rate with a pressing efficiency of 50%. Rennes are the more dominant team in this clash and are proving their potential this season.
Nice, on the other hand, is having difficulty putting up numbers in the charts. We can observe that Nice are ranked very low in the attacking department. Defensively, they are performing well in terms of recoveries per 90. Nice are able to complete a good number of passes per 90 and have an 80.9 percentile rank against teams in Ligue 1. They complete 501 passes per 90 on average, with an overall pass accuracy of 86.2%.
Both teams in attack
Rennes are currently fourth in the 2022-23 French Ligue 1, with 31 points from 16 games played. They have won nine matches, drawn four, and lost three. They have scored 29 goals with an xG of 30.28 and conceded 17 goals (18.1 expected goals against (xGA)). We can observe from the above viz that the team has scored most of its goals from inside the box. The team has also scored a few goals from outside the box. Rennes have an xG per 90 of 1.82 as well as an average of 14 shots per 90.
Nice are currently ninth in the 2022-23 French Ligue 1 standings, with 21 points from 16 games played. They have won five matches, drawn six, and lost five. They have scored 15 goals (20.2 expected goals (xG)) and conceded 17 goals (17.0 expected goals against (xGA)). All of their goals have come from inside the box. The team has also attempted many shots on target from outside the box. Nice have an xG per 90 of 1.21 as well as an average of ten shots per 90.
Attacking efficiency
One of the reasons behind both teams’ current form is their efficiency in attack. Rennes are the top-ranked team in terms of efficiency of positional attacks, with 13% overall efficiency. In terms of efficiency in counterattacks, they are currently at 18% efficiency. Rennes makes 45 entries in the final third on average as compared to Nice’s 33 per 90. Both teams make 11 crosses per 90 on average, with a success rate of 33% and 25%, respectively. The team makes 32.94 positional attacks per 90 with a 27.5% efficiency along with 1.56 counterattacks per 90 with a 35.9% efficiency in terms of taking a shot at the end of the attack.
Nice, on the other hand, are ranked low in both departments and lacks overall efficiency, especially in terms of counterattacks. Their opponents this time out like to maintain possession, and Nice will need to rely on their counter-attacking abilities to create any kind of threat for Rennes. The team makes 25.63 positional attacks per 90 with 27% efficiency, along with 1.56 counterattacks per 90 with 24.47% efficiency in terms of taking a shot at the end of the attack. Both teams average 19 attacks through the central zone per 90 minutes. Rennes are averaging 583 passes per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 this season, as compared to Nice, who are at 532 passes per 90 minutes with a pass accuracy of 87% and 86%, respectively.
Numbers in defence
The above chart represents the ranking of teams in Ligue 1 based on their percentage of defensive duels won. It can be seen that Nice are ranked at number two with a 59% win rate for defensive duels won. Rennes, on the other hand, are not far behind at 54%. Rennes make 20.0 entries into the opposition’s penalty box per 90 minutes, whereas Nice make only 12.0 entries. The home team makes 49 interceptions on average versus 43 interceptions per 90 for Nice. Rennes are the superior team in the air, winning 55% of their aerial duels to Nice’s 53%.
Key players
The above radar chart is a comparison between Martin Terrier of Rennes and Nicolas Pepe of Nice. Martin Terrier is a Rennes winger who has appeared in 15 games in the 2022-23 French Ligue 1 season. He has 26 shots on target from a total of 36 and has scored eight goals (5.97 xG). Martin Terrier averages 39 passes per game, has a 76% pass completion rate, and four assists.
Nicolas Pepe is a winger for Ligue 1 club Nice. In the French Ligue 1 season 2022/23, Nicolas Pepe has played 11 matches (plus two as a sub). He has 14 shots on target from a total of 29 and has scored four goals (5.98 xG). Nicolas Pepe averages 32 passes per match with a pass completion rate of 83% and zero assists.
Both players have been crucial in the current season for their teams. It can be seen that Terrier is efficient in terms of positioning and is good at getting into the right space at the right time. Pepe is performing better when it comes to plays with the ball and dribbling, passing, and shooting efficiency.
Team news
For Rennes, Lovro Majer is set to return to the first-team fold, and the playmaker could join Lesley Ugochukwu and Benjamin Bourigeaud in a three-man midfield, which would see Flavien Tait drop to the bench. Attacking trio Martin Terrier, Arnaud Kalimuendo, and Amine Gouiri, who have scored 16 goals between them so far this term, are expected to retain their places in the first 11.
As for Nice, Mattia Viti has recovered from a groin problem and is available to face Rennes. It remains to be seen whether Aaron Ramsey will feature in the matchday squad, and Hicham Boudaoui, Khephren Thuram, and Mario Lemina will all compete for a place in centre-midfield. Ross Barkley, Nicolas Pepe, and Gaetan Laborde will all be hoping to keep their places in the attack, although Andy Delort and Sofiane Diop will be pushing for a starting berth.
Both teams will be looking to secure maximum points and start the new year on a positive note.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
