Rennes vs West Ham United

Rennes and West Ham United go head-to-head in their first-ever meeting at Roazhon Park.

An eye-catching four-match winning streak at the tail-end of the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season wasn’t enough to earn Rennes a spot in the Champions League qualifiers, as they finished five points adrift of third-placed Olympique Marseille. Those four victories each saw ‘Les Rennais’ score 2+ goals, a trend they’ve failed to live up to in pre-season. Except for a hard-earned 2-1 win over lower-division Saint-Malo, Bruno Genesio’s men have netted precisely once in their two remaining summer friendlies (W1, D1), overcoming Brest 1-0 and sharing the spoils with Concarneau in a 1-1 draw. But an intimidating run of six wins in their last seven matches (D1) can inspire much confidence in the Rennes camp, especially as four of those victories came ‘to nil.’

Meanwhile, West Ham’s first European silverware in the 21st century – courtesy of a 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League showpiece in June – encouraged an outstanding pre-season start. Boreham Wood, Tottenham Hotspur, and Perth Glory were no match for David Moyes’ high-flying side as they won all three encounters by an aggregate score of 13-5, netting 3+ goals in each triumph. However, an underwhelming 2-2 draw against lower-league Dag & Red last time out curtailed West Ham’s momentum, highlighting Moyes’ porous backline as the team’s weakest link. Indeed, the ‘Hammers’ have conceded precisely twice in their last three exhibition fixtures!