Rennes vs Celtic
Europa League Group E
5:55pm Thursday 19th September
Stade de la Route-de-Lorient
Rennes head trainer Julien Stephan considers Celtic are extremely close to the grade of Europa League rivals Lazio as he warned his staff that getting out of the team would be harder.
Celtic kick their group effort in Brittany on Thursday while their Champions League conquerors, Cluj, take about the Italians.
Rennes reached the last 16 final season, finishing before Astana and Jablonec and supporting Dinamo Kiev and dropping to Arsenal.
But Stephan said:”It will be totally different group from this past year, we think that it’s a stronger group. They are used to winning titles they have won eight titles in a row.
“They are a team that are generally in the Champions League and they have enormous experience with several internationals.
“We all know they could play at the air and they are very technical. They are a very, very good team and possess technical players like (Callum) McGregor, (Ryan) Christie, (James) Forrest, merely to mention a few.
“They are well balanced and we understand how difficult it’s going to be we are fortunate to perform at house and the fans are going to play a big role in a possible win for us.
“I do believe Celtic are among the favourites. So far as experience they ought to be able to carry out well, maybe just behind Lazio.”
Rennes sit next in the table after beating leaders Paris Saint-Germain during their opening five matches although stephan has lost half of their team that won the French Cup earlier this year.
“it is a new group, a new season, there is a brand new story to be told and we will need to build a narrative with a new group,” he explained. “We can not compare this year with last year, this past year’s history.
“We’re in the process of fixing and the team is slowly evolving. We have had a very good start in the league and now we need to take it into Europe.”
After sustaining a head injury from 16, christopher Jullien has been declared fit to your game.
The Frenchman clashed with demanded medical attention and Marios Ogkmpoe before he was forced off.
If Neil Lennon chooses to break Jullien hatem Abd Elhamed is compelling to get a start, after picking up a marathon knock however, Leigh Griffiths did not travel.
Rennes are winless in each of their meetings with Celtic, drawing and losing 1-3 away in the 2011-12 Europa League group stages.
Celtic are winless in their last seven off European games against French resistance (D2 L5) since beating Nantes 3-1 in the 1966-67 European Cup last 16, en route to winning the trophy.
Including qualifiers, Rennes have lost only one of the last 15 home games in European contest (W8 D6), heading down 1-2 from Dynamo Kiev in last season’s Europa League group phase.
Back in Champions League and Europa League matches united, Celtic have won only three of their 45 away group stage matches (W3 D11 L31), with a few of those victories coming in last year’s competition (1-0 at Rosenborg).
Celtic’s James Forrest has played this season, including in the two legs of their Europa League qualifying victory against AIK.
Rennes have started in Ligue 1. I am hoping that M’Baye Niang won’t play. He is lightning quick a lesser variant of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. These guys can play and move, and that’s what Celtic struggle against.
Celtic will be good on the counter-attack, but their reputation is obviously the same. They get frightened when they travel away from home. They don’t understand the best places to pitch their defence and whether to perform with a squeezing game or not.
They are going to have gifted players and speed out wide, in which they’ll look to exploit. Celtic won’t threaten here and still have traumas.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 2-1 (17/2 with Sky Bet)
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