Rennes vs Celtic
Europa League Group E
5:55pm Thursday September
Stade de la Route-de-Lorient
Rennes head coach Julien Stephan considers since he warned his team that getting from the team would be more difficult than last 34, Celtic are very near the grade of Europa League competitions Lazio.
Celtic kick off their group campaign in Brittany on Thursday while their Champions League conquerors, Cluj, take the Italians.
Rennes reached the last 16 final season, losing to Arsenal and supporting Dinamo Kiev, prior to beating Real Betis and finishing ahead of Astana and Jablonec.
However, Stephan said:”It will be entirely different set from last year, we think it’s a stronger team. They’re utilized to winning names they’ve won eight titles in a row.
“They’re a group that are usually in the Champions League and they have enormous experience with several internationals.
“We all know they could play in the air and they’re very technical. They’re a very, very good team and have technical players such as (Callum) McGregor, (Ryan) Christie, (James) Forrest, simply to mention a couple.
“They’re well balanced and we understand how difficult it’ll be but we are lucky to perform at home and the supporters are going to play a big role in a potential win for all of us.
“I do believe Celtic are among the favourites. So far as expertise they ought to be in a position to perform well, possibly just behind Lazio.”
Stephan has lost half of the group which won the French Cup but Rennes sit next in the table after beating leaders Paris Saint-Germain during their opening five games.
“it is a new group, a new year, there is a new story to be informed and we need to build a story with a new team,” he explained. “We can not compare this year with last season, last year’s history.
“We are in the process of fixing and the group is slowly currently evolving. We have had an excellent start in the league and we need to take it in to Europe.”
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Rennes are winless in both of their previous encounters with Celtic, drawing and dropping 1-3 away in the 2011-12 Europa League group stages.
Celtic are winless in their last seven away European games against French opposition (D2 L5) since beating Nantes 3-1 from the 1966-67 European Cup last 16, en route to winning the trophy.
Including qualifiers, Rennes have dropped one of the last 15 home games in European competition (W8 D6), going down 1-2 from Dynamo Kiev in previous season’s Europa League group stage.
Back in Champions League along with also Europa League matches combined, Celtic have won just three of the 45 away team stage matches (W3 D11 L31), with a few of the victories coming from last year’s competition (1-0 at Rosenborg).
Celtic’s James Forrest has played in each of his past four games in European competition this year, such as in both legs of their Europa League qualifying victory against AIK.
Rennes have started well in Ligue 1. I hope that M’Baye Niang will not be enjoying. He is lightning quick a lesser version of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. These guys can play and move, and that’s what Celtic fight against.
Celtic is going to be useful about the counter-attack, but their standing is always the same. They get scared when they journey away from your home. They don’t understand whether to perform a sport or not and the best places to pitch their defence.
They will have players that are talented and speed out wide, in which they’ll look to exploit. Celtic will not endanger here and have traumas that are defensive.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-1 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
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