Lorient vs Stade Rennais FC preview - Ripoll wants tough approach

Sylvain Ripoll has warned Lorient "there is no place for soft" in their bid to escape the Ligue 1 relegation battle.

Lorient coach Ripoll admits Saturday's home derby clash with Rennes kick-starts a crucial three-week run that could define the relegation contest.

Ripoll conceded that pressure will increase in the matches with relegation rivals Lens and Toulouse that follow this weekend's meeting with Rennes.

Lorient sit one place and just two points outside of the relegation zone, with Ripoll aware his players are entering the home straight.

"These three weeks are going to be necessarily important," Ripoll told reporters.

"We have two home matches and one away to a direct competitor.

"Playing at home has to give us confidence but that can be fragile, so we must do a lot of good things.

"There is a degree of intensity and the pressure will increase.

"We are on the final sprint: there is no place for soft, you must engage.

"These are the teams that will remain united, able to negotiate this context without panicking and that will hold their own game.

"The role of the coach is to recall and maintain that level of awareness, but I feel the players are involved on the objective and aware of the issues."

Full-back Romain Danze has warned Rennes their own bid to avoid the drop is not yet over, despite sitting relatively comfortably in mid-table.

Rennes currently sit 11th on 39 points, with Danze targeting 43 to cement their top-flight status.

"We have not yet acquired the necessary 42 or 43 points," he told Rennes' official club website.

"Until the moment we have them, we are not immune: we must not fall asleep.

"There is a lot of pressure on them (Lorient) so they could be more timid.

"I'm not sure they will throw themselves forward, but against Lorient it is always complicated."