Chelsea have moved within touching distance of the Champions League last 16 ahead of their trip to France for Matchday 4 on Tuesday. Beating Rennes at Roazhon Park would not guarantee their passage to the knockout stages but if Sevilla were also to win in Krasnodar it would be enough for both teams to qualify.
Rennes might believe the 3-0 loss they suffered at Stamford Bridge earlier this month was not entirely reflective of a game they were firmly in before a harsh red card for Dalbert, whose accidental handball gave Chelsea their second penalty of the match and effectively ended the contest.
Here's how you can watch the match and what to know:
Rennes vs Chelsea
- Date: Tuesday, Nov. 24
- Time: 12:55 p.m. ET
- Location: Roazhon Park -- Rennes, France
- Live stream: CBS All Access
- Odds: Rennes +360; Draw +280; Chelsea -133 (via William Hill Sportsbook)
Storylines
Rennes: Can the French side get out of their tailspin? Their last six Ligue 1 games have brought just five points whilst they are without a win three games into their first Champions League campaign. Eduardo Camavinga's return against Bordeaux was supposed to breath new life to this team but their former playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa returned to haunt them in a 1-0 defeat.
Keeping Chelsea at bay will be all the harder with Rennes having to do without defenders Faitout Maouassa and Daniele Rugani, both injured, as well as the suspended Dalbert.
Chelsea: Edouard Mendy returns to his former home in Rennes in remarkable form. Nine games into his career he has conceded just two goals and seems to have had a calming impact on a Chelsea defense that had previously been all too easy to carve open.
Restore Thiago Silva to a defense that kept Newcastle United goalless at the weekend and it's hard to see this Chelsea team giving up any easy chances.
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Prediction
Chelsea are in fine form, Rennes are emphatically not. With supporters in Roazhon Park this might have been a more even contest but as is Chelsea are overwhelming favorites. Pick: Chelsea 2, Rennes 0.
