OGC Nice hosts Rennes at 5 PM for the 33rd day of Ligue 1. Initially ordinary at the beginning of the season, the match has now become a decisive clash for a spot in Europe.
Who could have predicted six months ago that Rennes and Nice would be fighting for a podium finish today? Certainly not many. Yet, both teams are the pleasant surprises of the 2015/2016 Ligue 1 season and still have hopes of reaching Europe with six games left to play. Moreover, the two clubs share more than just their red and black colors. Nice, a model of youth development in Europe, has found a competitor in Rennes, who boasts the most prolific young player across the top five leagues: Ousmane Dembélé.
Nice and Rennes also share a particular vision of the game and offensive efficiency. Especially since Courbis’ arrival in Brittany, Rennes has accelerated, showing more than impressive attacking capabilities in recent weeks. This is evidenced by their 5-2 victory at Marseille’s Vélodrome. For Nice, the power of their attacking trio and Hatem Ben Arfa needs no further demonstration. Rennes were even reminded of this with a 4-1 defeat at Roazhon Park earlier in the season.
The Decisive Moment
Both surprises now find themselves needing to push their achievements a step further to keep their dreams alive. Ranked 4th for Rennes and 5th for Nice before this matchday, both teams saw Lyon pull away with its victory at Montpellier and Saint-Etienne close in with its success against Troyes. This direct confrontation must not end in a draw as it would benefit no one.
A loss would be a significant blow for both the Bretons and the Azuréens as the championship draws to an end. Nice is set to face Lyon next week, and Rennes will head to Parc des Princes in 15 days. In short, some big matches await the two championship surprises. To kick off this series well and position themselves for the final sprint, they must hold on tonight. Joy awaits the winner; for the others, whatever will be, will be. Flair or not.
