Friday 18/04/2014, 19:30, France Ligue 1, Round 34, St Etienne vs Rennes

St Etienne vs Rennes Betting Preview

St Etienne has temporarily secured the fourth place that would send them to Europa League next season and all they need to do is to consolidate their position. Lyon is in great form and sits just two points behind them, following their narrow margin victory over PSG. This makes the Friday fixture with Rennes a must win for the hosts, who should also be able to capitalize on their opponents' fatigue.

St Etienne vs Rennes Betting Odds

At Bet365

St Etienne 1.70, Draw 3.75, Rennes 5.00

St Etienne vs Rennes Betting Tips

Rennes played the Coupe de France semifinal against second league Angers and dominated the match from start to end. The 3-2 victory doesn't reflect the reality on the pitch, as the visitors scored from a penalty and a lucky situation in the first minutes of the match. Rennes played offensive football and now they are waiting for a rematch with Guingamp, a team that defeated them in the same competition's final five years ago.

Meanwhile, they have very few reasons to worry ahead of this game, as they are tied with two other teams and the entire group is eight points above Sochaux. The specter of relegation is no longer looming and even though the season was somewhat disappointing, Rennes can still save it by winning the cup.

The hosts have suffered an untimely elimination from that competition and they are now desperate to win as many Ligue 1 games as possible. They will face Ajaccio in the last round and three complacent teams that would gladly settle for one point, and the best part is that three of these five games will be played at home.

At Stade Geoffroy-Guichard they are almost impossible to beat, with only two teams prevailing this season and four games ended in a draw. St Etienne were incredibly lucky in the last two rounds, leveling the score in the last minute of overtime, once as a result of converting a penalty shot.

Key Facts

• St Etienne has a flawless home record against Rennes, winning the last three games to nil while scoring a combined eight goals.
• Rennes played three games in 10 days, against two of the best French teams and an intense cup semifinal, so fatigue should be factored in.

St Etienne vs Rennes Betting Odds Prediction

The odds for a home win are far from remarkable, but this is the only reason for why punters should be less than enthusiastic to back St Etienne at full stakes. On the bright side, they are in superb condition, highly motivated and luck is also on their side, three rock solid arguments for betting on a home win.
Bet: St Etienne @ 1.70 with Bet365