Rennes will step up their preparations for the resumption of the Ligue 1 season when they take on Celtic in a friendly in Portugal on Saturday.
Both sides have not been in action since November, with this match giving both managers the opportunity to restore some fitness ahead of returning to their domestic endeavours.
Match preview
Rennes have enjoyed a fantastic 2022-23 campaign so far, occupying third position in the Ligue 1 table with 31 points from 15 games played under Bruno Genesio.
The French outfit are unbeaten in their last 17 fixtures across all competitions and will be hoping to continue this form into 2023, with the prize of securing qualification for the Champions League being within their grasp.
Incredibly, Rennes have not lost any matches since August, which has gone a long way towards demonstrating their resilience and quality both domestically and in European football.
In their Europa League affairs, Genesio and his side comfortably secured their passage to the knockout rounds from Group B, finishing second behind Fenerbahce and ahead of AEK Larnaca and Dynamo Kiev.
On Saturday, they will look to continue this fine form and gain some momentum ahead of their first league match back against Angers later this month.
Celtic have also enjoyed a strong season and currently sit top of the Scottish Premiership with 42 points from 15 fixtures fulfilled.
Ange Postecoglou has once again put a heavy emphasis on playing attacking football, which has resulted in his side hitting 50 goals in the league this year as they eye another title.
Undoubtedly, Celtic did struggle to claim results in the Champions League against elite opposition, however, most of their performances yielded several opportunities to make the final scoreline much closer than results suggested.
With more intelligent recruitment, Postecoglou could potentially lead his side to success on both domestic and continental footballing fronts which will excite supporters.
Nevertheless, Celtic will be keen to test themselves against a strong Rennes side on Saturday, before their attentions turn towards their return to Scottish Premiership action away to Aberdeen next week.
Team News
Rennes will be without midfielder Lovro Majer for the match against Celtic, due to the player still being involved at the World Cup in Qatar with Croatia.
On the other hand, Jeremy Doku and Arthur Theate could return for the match, following their elimination from the tournament with Belgium.
Baptiste Santamaria is a long-term absentee for Rennes owing to an ankle knock and will not be available for selection.
Celtic will be missing defender Josip Juranovic, who is also still in Qatar with Croatia and is likely to play against Brazil in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Callum McGregor may be given an opportunity in the Rennes match to build fitness as he nears the end of his recovery from a knee injury. James McCarthy is still struggling with a hamstring issue and will not be available.
Daizen Maeda, Aaron Mooy and Cameron Carter-Vickers could all be involved on Saturday after being eliminated at the World Cup with their respective nations.
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Traore, Theate, Wooh, Truffert; Doku, Xeka, Ugochukwu, Terrier; Gouiri, Kalimuendo
Celtic possible starting lineup:
Hart; Ralston, Starfelt, Jenz, Taylor; O'Riley, Hatate, Turnbull; Abada, Jota, Furuhashi
We say: Rennes 1-1 Celtic
In a low-key affair, we expect both sides to prioritise fitness and squad rotation as they ease players back into match fitness ahead of a busy second period of the season.
Due to this, the sides will be inseparable on the day and a draw will be the most likely outcome from this encounter.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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