Rennes vs Celtic
Europa League Group E
5:55pm Thursday September
Stade de la Route-de-Lorient
Rennes head trainer Julien Stephan believes Celtic are very near the normal of Europa League rivals Lazio as he warned his team that getting from their group would be more difficult.
Celtic kick their group effort in Brittany on Thursday while Cluj, their Champions League conquerors, take the Italians.
Rennes reached the last 16 last season, supporting Dinamo Kiev and finishing ahead of Astana and Jablonec and losing to Arsenal.
But Stephan stated:”It will be totally different group from last year, we think that it’s a stronger group. They’re utilised to winning national titles they’ve won eight titles in a row.
“They’re a team that are usually in the Champions League and they have enormous experience with several internationals.
“We all know they could play at the air and they’re quite technical. They’re a very, very good team and possess technical players such as (Callum) McGregor, (Ryan) Christie, (James) Forrest, merely to mention a couple.
“They are well balanced and we know how hard it will be but we are lucky to perform at house and the fans will play a big role in a possible win for all of us.
“I do believe Celtic are one of the favorites. So far as expertise they need to be able to carry out well, possibly just behind Lazio.”
Stephan has dropped half of the group that won the Cup but Rennes sit in the table Paris Saint-Germain during their opening five games.
“It’s a new group, a new year, there is a brand new story to be informed and we need to construct a narrative with a fresh team,” he explained. “We can’t compare this year with last year, last year’s history.
“We’re in the process of fixing and the group is evolving. We have had a very good start in the league and now we will need to take it to Europe.”
After sustaining a head injury from 16, christopher Jullien has been declared fit for the game.
The Frenchman and medical attention and Marios Ogkmpoe clashed before he was forced off.
If Neil Lennon chooses to rest Jullien hatem Abd Elhamed is compelling for a start, after picking up a marathon knock however, Leigh Griffiths didn’t travel.
Rennes are winless in both of the meetings at home, drawing 1-1 with Celtic and losing 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 hammering Nantes 3-1 from the 1966-67 European Cup last 16, en route to winning the trophy.
Including qualifiers, Rennes have lost one of the last 15 home games in European competitors (W8 D6), going down 1-2 against Dynamo Kiev in previous year’s Europa League group phase.
In Champions League along with Europa League games united, Celtic have won only three of the 45 away group stage games (W3 D11 L31), with one of those victories coming in last season’s contest (1-0 at Rosenborg).
Celtic’s James Forrest has scored this year, for example in the two legs of their Europa League qualifying victory against AIK.
Rennes have begun in Ligue 1. I hope that M’Baye Niang will not be playing. He’s lightning fast a lesser variant of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. These guys can move and play, and that’s what Celtic struggle against.
Celtic is going to be helpful about the counter-attack, but their standing is obviously the same. They get scared when they go away from home. They do not know where to pitch their defence and if to perform a sport or not.
They speed out wide, where they will look to utilize and will have players. Celtic still have traumas that are defensive and will not endanger here.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-1 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
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