Reims, a season of contrasts

In March, after a series of consistent performances and fairly convincing results, Stade de Reims raised their sights to the top of the league and embraced their desire for Europe. Their desire to join the fight for continental glory was thwarted by a poor run of form at Auguste-Delaune. Quite simply, before beating Olympique de Marseille in a late match, Les Rémois had not won in six Ligue 1 Uber Eats games. 

Samba Diawara, third act

Samba Diawara will sit on the SDR bench when the Bretons come calling. Recently appointed interim coach after Will Still was sidelined, Diawara, who began his coaching career in Belgium, has risen through the ranks. Against Brest, he honoured his first match in this role. His side drew 1-1 in Brittany after opening the scoring through Marshall Munetsi, before going on to beat Olympique de Marseille 1-0. A promising start for the former defender.

Azor back in Champagne

The duel will obviously be a special one for Azor Matusiwa. The Dutchman, who joined Rennes in the winter, will be returning to a stadium and a team he knows particularly well. The spearhead of the Rennes team, he has established himself as a hard-working, tough, accurate and combative midfielder.