Stade Rennais Look to Bounce Back Against Montpellier After Opening Day Loss
By BBC Sport
Stade Rennais will be hoping to put their disappointing opening-day loss to Bastia behind them as they host Montpellier this Saturday for the second round of Ligue 1. After a tough start to the season, Philippe Montanier’s men will need a strong response at home to get their campaign back on track.
A key inclusion for Rennais is Mehdi Zeffane, who makes the cut for his first appearance in the matchday squad after joining from Lyon during the summer. However, Habib Habibou misses out on selection, and Cheikh M’Bengue, Cédric Hountondji, and Abdoulaye Diallo have also not been included.
Further challenges for Stade Rennais include injuries to Abdoulaye Doucouré and Paul-Georges Ntep, who remain sidelined for the time being. Despite the absences, Montanier will be hoping his team can recover from the loss and start building momentum in front of their home crowd.
Stade Rennais Squad:
Goalkeepers: Costil, Sorin
Defenders: Mexer, Baal, Pedro Mendes, Armand, Moreira, Diagne, Danzé, Zeffane
Midfielders: André, Gelson, Sylla, Hunou
Forwards: Pedro Henrique, Sio, Toivonen, Grosicki, Saïd
Montpellier, coming off a 1–0 victory over Marseille, will present a tough test, but Rennais will be keen to show their potential after a tough start to the season.
