Preview: Rennes face Monaco under the Roazhon lights

Following a week of busy European action, it's back to Ligue 1 this weekend with a round of fixtures to contend with before the international break. After Adi Hütter's side had to deal with adverse weather conditions during Les Monégasque's draw in Zagreb (2-2), they hope the road trip to Brittany will pose less turbulence as they hope to extend their unbeaten run in the league to mid-october.

Julien Stephan's Rennes have had the best part of a week to fine tune their preparations after a positive second half performance at Paris Saint-Germain (3-1) couldn't bring Les Rouge et Noir any points back from the capital. Yet, it's at Roazhon Park where Stéphan's men have picked up the majority of their points so far this season. Rennes are unbeaten in their last 4 home games in Ligue 1 (2 wins, 2 draws), having lost three of the previous four.

Monaco manager Adi Hütter was well aware of the threat posed by Rennes at home in his pre-match press conference on Friday. "They play very proactive football. In my opinion, they're one of the best teams in the league, especially in front of their fans. So it's going to be a tough game, and we'll have to be ready for the challenge, but I think we are."

Julien Stéphan - "The weight of the crowd behind us boosts the player's confidence."

Following a difficult match against PSG last weekend (3-1), Rennes sit 10th in Ligue 1, with two wins, one draw, and three defeats to their name. Whilst it's early in the season, observers have suggested that Rennes are stronger at home (with their two wins this season so far coming at Roazhon Park).

"We said that at the start of the season. But we're only 6 games in, so it seems a bit early to say that we're strong at home and weak away," said the Frenchman addressing the question during his press conference. "The fixture list is another factor. We've played in Reims, Strasbourg and Paris. So far this season, no team has taken any points away from Paris."

"I think it's a combination of things. The fervour, the weight of the crowd behind us, that's very important, it boosts the players' confidence. We'll have to do more and better away from home if we're going to put on a different performance. I also think it will be important to set a benchmark with this brand new squad, away from home, to regenerate belief. We had our first big moment with Lyon and a great game straight away, which certainly gave us confidence at home. But away from home, we don't yet have that benchmark with this young squad that's still building."

Stade Rennais vs Monaco - Team news

Albert Grønbaek, who came off the bench against PSG, is in contention to start against Monaco on Saturday, while new signing Jota remains doubtful due to a lingering muscle injury that has sidelined him for the last two matches. Takumi Minamino is expected to start ahead of Eliesse Ben Seghir, with German goalkeeper Phillip Köhn retaining his spot between the posts. Adi Hütter has recently reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Stade Rennais Expected XI: Mandanda; Ostigard, Wooh, Seidu; Assignon, Santamaria, Matusiwa, Truffert; Blas, Kalimuendo, Gronbaek

Monaco Expected XI: Kohn; Vanderson, Kehrer, Salisu, Caio Henrique; Zakaria, Camara; Akliouche, Golovin, Ben Seghir; Embolo

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