Lille vs Rennes Preview: A tale of two coaches

New Rennes boss Jorge Sampaoli faces his first test on his return to Ligue 1, whilst Lille's Bruno Génésio faces his former side.

Ligue 1 tends to throw up these kinds of narratives every now and then. Jorge Sampaoli will be making his return to the French top flight with Rennes in a tricky away trip to a high-flying Lille side. It will be no less of an occasion for Lille manager Bruno Génésio, who'll be facing a former club in the Breton visitors.

Sampaoli was officially appointed as Rennes head coach during the international break, signing an 18-month deal with Les Rouge et Noir. The former Olympique de Marseille boss will make his return to Ligue 1 after managing in the 2020-2021 and the 2021-2022 seasons respectively.

"I'm a real fan of Ligue 1. After Marseille, I continued to watch the league and it has continued to evolve since I left. The best players in the world come from France and Brazil in particular. We're going to have to make the most of that know-how," said the Argentine in his first press conference since his appointment at Rennes. "The reality is that we need to get this dressing room back into collective shape. The aim is to rediscover a group spirit, and we'll talk about ambitions later. First of all, there's a lot of progress to be made in terms of the way we operate and our ability to be competitive."

Lille looking to celebrate 80th anniversary

With a home game against Rennes at Stade Pierre Mauroy, Les Dogues will be celebrating their 80th anniversary. Not only that, but manager Bruno Génésio will be facing his former side. "It's also important to celebrate the club's history, the anniversary and the old-timers who made LOSC's heyday. Now we just have to concentrate on the 90, 95, 100 minutes we have to play. It's the first match of a final cycle before the winter break."

"As far as Sunday's match is concerned, for the first time this season we didn't analyse any video of our opponents,” admits the Lille coach, unable to predict his opponent's plans. "Because we don't know how Rennes will play under their new coach."

A win for Les Dogues could see them overtake Marseille if De Zerbi's side fail to beat Lens on Saturday. For Rennes, a positive start is needed if they are to make a push up the table and avoid a surprise relegation battle.

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