Top spot in UEFA Europa League Group F hangs in the balance as Stade Rennais and Villarreal, both already qualified, face off in France in J6.
The Breton team has 12 points in 5 matches and ensured its qualification on the fifth day by winning 3-0 against Maccabi Haifa in Budapest thanks to goals from Martin Terrier (29e minute), Amine Gouiri (47e) and Fabian Rieder (90e+3).
Villarreal, who face Maccabi at home on December 6 in a matchday three match, ensured they finished in the top two places with two games remaining by securing a third straight victory against Panathinaikos ( 3-2) in Spain.
Previous meetings
The two teams met for the first time on the second day at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Villarreal won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Alexander Sørloth in the 36the minute. Rennes missed the opportunity to equalize in the 90the minute on a Terrier penalty pushed back by Pepe Reina.
On the teams
Rennes
Record against Spanish clubs, W2, D3, L4, 12 bp, 14 bc
At home against Spanish clubs: W1 D2 L2
Prior to this season, Rennes last faced Spanish opponents in the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League group stage, losing both matches against Sevilla (0-1 away, 1-3 home ) while they finished in last place in their group.
Rennes, however, beat Real Betis in the 2018/19 Europa League round of 32, a 3-3 home draw preceding a 3-1 away victory.
The Breton club is participating in the group stage of the Europa League for the fifth time. Last season, they qualified in second place in their group without losing a match (3 wins, 3 draws), before losing on penalties to Shakhtar Donetsk in the play-off for the knockout stage. (1-2 away, 2-1 at home after, 4-5 tab).
The Ligue 1 club’s best run in the competition came in 2018/19, when they finished second in their group and beat Betis in the round of 16 before facing Arsenal in the round of 16. Despite a 3-1 home victory in the first leg, two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang allowed Arsenal to win 3-0 in London and eliminate the French team.
Rennes are on a run of 11 home matches without defeat in Europe (7 wins, 4 draws).
On November 19, Rennes parted ways with their coach Bruno Génésio, replaced by Julien Stéphan. Stéphan, 43, born in Rennes, was part of the technical staff from 2012 to 2021 and was in charge of the senior team between December 2018 and March 2021, winning the Coupe de France in 2018/19 after having SRFC in round of 16 of the Europa League that same season. He was most recently coach of Strasbourg, a position he left in January.
Villarreal
Record against French clubs: W3, D2, L4, 7 bp, 7 bc
Away against French clubs: W1 D1 L2
Villarreal’s only victory in their four visits to France was a 3-0 in the UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-final second leg against Troyes in 1992, after the home side fielded an unqualified player.
Before the second day, the Yellow Submarine’s last meeting with a French team dates back to the round of 16 of the 2017/18 Europa League, a 3-1 first-leg defeat in Lyon followed by a 1-0 defeat home.
The Spanish side are competing in the Europa League for the first time since winning the competition in 2020/21, their first major title, when they beat Manchester United 11-10 on penalties after a draw 1-1 in Gdansk.
After winning the Europa League in 2020/21, Villarreal went all the way to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2021/22, winning against Juventus in the round of 16 (1-1 at home, 3-0 at away) and Bayern München in the quarter-finals (1-0 at home, 1-1 away) were followed by an elimination against Liverpool, who ultimately won despite Villarreal’s comeback in the return match (0-2 away, 2-3 at home).
After a seventh-place finish in La Liga in 2021/22, Villarreal competed in the UEFA Europa Conference League last season, winning four out of six matches (D1, L1) to finish top of their group before losing to at Anderlecht in the round of 16 (1-1 away, 0-1 at home).
The team qualified for the Europa League group stage by finishing fifth in La Liga, recording their tenth top-seven finish in the last eleven seasons, despite the coach’s departure in October. Unai Emery.
Quique Setién replaced Emery as Villarreal coach in October 2022 but himself gave way to Pacheta on September 9.
Villarreal parted ways with Pacheta on November 10 and signed Marcelino back three days later. During his first tenure, between January 2013 and August 2016, Marcelino took the club to La Liga and reached the semi-finals of the 2015/16 Europa League.
We know each other…
Steve Mandanda and Pepe Reina have faced each other seven times, each time before this season in the Champions League group stage. The Villarreal goalkeeper has won six victories (three with Liverpool, two with Napoli and one with Villarreal), compared to one for the Frenchman.
Reina made her 189e appearance in UEFA club competition in the 5e matchday against Panathinaikos, which places him second on the list of all-time most capped players in European club competitions, ahead of fellow Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas (188 matches) and behind Cristiano Ronaldo (197).
Villarreal coach Marcelino started the season at Marseille but left the club in September before facing Rennes.
Played in France:
Aïssa Mandi (Reims 2010-16)
Étienne Capoue (Toulouse 2006-13)
Francis Coquelin (Lorient 2010/11)
Mandi faced Rennes ten times, including seven in Ligue 1 when he played in Reims and three in the Europa League, twice with Real Betis and during J2. His record is 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats.
Mandi scored two goals against Rennes in a Reims jersey, both in 2015/16, a 2-2 draw at home and a 3-1 defeat away.
Capoue faced Rennes nine times when he was at Toulouse, with a record of 3 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses.
Coquelin faced Rennes twice during his time at Lorient, scoring his only goal for the French club in a 2–1 away win in April 2011.
Mandanda and Capoue played together for the France team in 2012/13.
Teammates in selection:
Amine Gouiri and Aïssa Mandi (Algeria)
Mohamed Jaouab and Ilias Akhomach (young people from Morocco)
2023-12-07 05:09:46
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