Angers' carries and deliveries will meet a Lorient back line that has been ending attacks inside its own box. Rennes can use high wingbacks to move Strasbourg's screen, while Strasbourg can break into the space those wingbacks leave. Both matches have routes to a goal from a wide first pass. The next defensive contact after that pass looks decisive.
Angers can reach the area through Sbaï and van den Boomen, but their recent volume brought few clean shots on target. Lorient's Talbi and Touré have cleared repeated pressure, and Sylla and Kouassi played full roles in the recent wins to give the back line two release outlets. Katseris and Fadiga remain out for Lorient as they were in the recent matches; Angers may regain Camara, Lefort and Belkebla, whose combined return has not yet been tested in this fixture. I expect Lorient's box protection and wide escapes to carry more weight, so I'm siding with Lorient.
Rennes' back-three option lets Nagida and a right wingback supply Dia and Al-Tamari, who both played substantial minutes at Juventus while Lepaul was absent. Strasbourg can counter through Yassine, Reyna and Harder, but their recent first shots against PSG and Nice were less clean than their entries suggested, and they failed to hold the PSG lead. Lepaul is confirmed out again; Strasbourg's Panichelli and Nanasi also missed PSG, while Baldé played there and is now out. Rennes' wide supply against Strasbourg's stretched defensive recovery gives the home side the clearer finishing route. That's why I'm siding with Rennes.
