Strasbourg Alsace host Stade Rennais at the Stade de la Meinau on Sunday in a Ligue 1 meeting that could reshape the race for Europe. The sides are seven points apart, but Strasbourg can cut that gap to four points with a win after a week that has already changed the mood around the club.
That mood was lifted on Thursday, when Strasbourg beat Mainz 05 4-0 in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals to reach the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time in their history. They became the 13th French club to make that stage, and the result extended a strong run that has seen them avoid defeat in Ligue 1 since back-to-back losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre at the start of February. Strasbourg are on a seven-match unbeaten run in the league, have won their last two matches in all competitions and have lost only once in their last 12 matches across all competitions.
There is also domestic momentum behind Liam Rosenior’s successor, Gary O'Neil, who took over in January. Strasbourg beat OGC Nice 3-1 two weeks ago and have also reached the Coupe de France semi-finals, so Sunday offers another chance to keep several fronts alive at once. Aaron Anselmino is out with a hamstring injury, Junior Mwanga is missing because of a shoulder problem and Joaquin Panichelli has been sidelined since last month with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Rennes arrive in better shape than they were earlier in the season, too. They beat Stade Brestois and Angers in back-to-back matches over the past two weeks, with Marius Louer and Mousa Tamari scoring first-half goals in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Angers before Prosper Peter pulled one back. Rennes sit sixth in the Ligue 1 standings, three points behind third-placed Lille, and have lost only once in their last eight league matches.
The visitors have also been unusually strong away from home. Rennes have won each of their last three away matches and own the fourth-best away record in Ligue 1 behind Paris Saint-Germain, Lille and Lens, with six wins, four draws and four defeats from 14 away league games. They have not won in their last two league visits to Strasbourg, though they did beat the Alsace side 4-1 in the reverse fixture in November, and they are trying to complete their first league double over Strasbourg since the 2005-06 season.
That is what gives this match its edge. Strasbourg have European qualification within reach and a home crowd behind a team that has been hard to beat for more than two months, while Rennes are trying to make their own late push after finishing 12th last season, their lowest position since 2014. On recent form, the margin is narrow. On Sunday, it may be narrower still.
