CELTIC will tonight kick off their latest Europa League campaign with a visit to French cup winners, Stade Rennais. The Brittany team will prove to be an acid test for Neil Lennon’s side after an impressive return as Celtic manager, excluding the infamous Cluj match.
Summer of Change
Their manager, Julien Stephan, has come out and suggested that Celtic are ‘favourites with Lazio’ to progress; however, the Rennes native has invested heavily in his side following departures in the summer as the club sought to capitalise on the momentum that saw them reach the last 16 of the Europa League last season as well as lifting the Coupe de France in April.
Similarly to Celtic, Rennes have transitioned this summer. 17 departures and 20 arrivals make for interesting reading as they spent money on signings such as attackers Raphinha, M’Baye Niang and Flaven Tait to replace £27m export Ismaila Sarr.
In contrast, Celtic saw 16 players depart and the same arrive. However, unlike Rennes, Celtic spent only half of the sum that they received for Kieran Tierney – despite doing good business this summer – see HERE. Both teams have something to prove with their new crop of players as they seek to begin a European adventure that will take them as close as possible to Gdansk.
Ones to Watch
Raphinha, 22, is a name that sticks out in the Rennes squad. The Portuguese attacker has brushed off comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo in the past now seeks to make a name for himself in the French league. Signing for Rennes was a huge statement of intent by the French club and would have been unthinkable in December when Stephan took charge; however, the upturn in their form has seem and bizarre happenings at Sporting Lisbon opened the door to a move.
What to expect? A pacey player that likes to drift his way through the attacking line making him difficult to mark. Celtic will need to be wary of Raphinha, the £19m man.
Clement Grenier is another that Celtic need to watch. The playmaker with an eye for goal is a pivotal part of what Rennes do and Christopher Jullien has already pointed out that the Champions need to be wary of the ex-Lyon man in the middle of the park. However, Jullien suggested that Scott Brown’s abrasive style today could be key to silencing Grenier’s creative flair and giving Celtic the edge.
“They [Grenier and Brown] are totally different and that’s why I’m happy going into this tie. I know Grenier and, if he has someone like Broony breathing down his neck, he won’t be the same,” Jullien said to the media, as reported by Daily Record.
Make no mistake, you do not sit second in Ligue 1 if you are an average outfit, nor do you topple PSG twice in the space of six months and wrestle a trophy from the star-studded Parisians.
Past Meetings
Celtic and Rennes are no strangers to each other, this season especially. Celtic hosted Rennes in July producing a draw. Les Rouge et Noir (Red & Blacks) visited Celtic Park in 2015 and were defeated by Ronny Deila’s Celtic again in a pre-season match with goals from Leigh Griffiths and Gary Mackay-Steven proving enough to secure the victory.
In competitive matches, Celtic need to look back to 2011 when Neil Lennon was in his first spell as manager to remember playing Rennes. This came in the Europa League and should Celtic consult the form guide, it looks favourable towards the Scottish Champions.
20 October 2011 – Rennes 1 Celtic 1
Celtic’s trip to Rennes in the October of 2011 will be remembered for one thing, the most bizarre own goal that you are likely to see in football. The man that offered up this infamous piece of Celtic history was right-back Cha Du Ri:
RENNES REWIND | Cha Du Ri scores an own goal to put #Rennes 1-0 up against #Celtic in the Europa League 11/12#SRFC pic.twitter.com/AiX9Fy2tfM
— We Are Rennes (@WeAreRennes) August 29, 2016
Joe Ledley’s 70th minute header wrestled the game level after a spell of pressure from the visitors in a topsy-turvy clash.
However, there was no winner as both teams opened up and searched.
3 November 2011 – Celtic 3 Rennes 1
A double from Anthony Stokes and one from Gary Hooper cancelled out Kader Mangane’s opener for the visitors to deliver Celtic a comprehensive victory at home.
Home Record
Rennes have lost just once at home in their last 15 matches and you need to go back to 2007 to find the mark against their name – a late defeat to Dynamo Kiev. This formidable record proves that Rennes are no ‘flash in the pan’ and have been building a pedigree over the past few years.
Celtic’s Improving European Away Results
Neil Lennon’s Celtic side remains undefeated in European football this season, having won in Sarajevo, Tallinn and Stockholm and earning a draw away to Cluj, so go into this evening’s match with some confidence. Lennon is also mindful of the Rennes formation – 3-5-2 – and is likely to adjust the Celtic formation to combat this, with Olivier Ntcham, who was excellent in his cameo role from the bench on Beautiful Sunday, likely to start.
Likely line-up could look something like this with when defending Celtic could look like this
Forster
Elhamed, Ajer, Jullien, Bolingoli
Forrest, McGregor, Brown, Ntcham, Christie
Edouard
And when attacking – and Celtic have scored in every game this season in all competitions, altering to this
Forster
Elhamed, Ajer, Jullien, Bolingoli
McGregor, Brown, Ntcham
Forrest, Edouard, Christie
Prediction? Looks like two teams who can score goals. A 1-1 or 2-2 draw would be a decent result to take back to Glasgow.
Lubo98
First look at the stadium. This is our stand for tonight. ☘️???????? pic.twitter.com/glpEBK0RWo
— Matt Corr (@Boola_vogue) September 19, 2019
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR TODAY…
Rennes v Celtic – Christie eyes Three Points in Rennes and Rogic Reunion…see HERE.
Rennes v Celtic – It’s Wide Open, ‘every team will take points off each,’ reckons Lenny ahead of Europa League opener…see HERE.
Why Celtic’s European Credibility is at Stake in Rennes – David Potter…see HERE.
Rennes is green and white ☘️???????? pic.twitter.com/ESA9wcc5JD
— Matt Corr (@Boola_vogue) September 19, 2019
