Both Juventus and Rennes will be eager to move on from disappointing domestic outings last weekend as they put their unbeaten UEFA Europa League (UEL) starts to the season on the line.
Match News and Current Form
Juventus fell to a 3-0 home defeat to Lazio on Sunday, their second loss in seven games (W3, D2), which has placed head coach Luciano Spalletti under mounting pressure. The Bianconeri will hope that a return to European duty proves a welcome distraction from domestic struggles after coming from behind to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 last Thursday, keeping them among ten teams with a perfect start to this UEL league-phase campaign. That momentum was kickstarted by a 5-0 thrashing of NEC Nijmegen on matchday one, contributing to a four-game winning run in European encounters at the Allianz Stadium - their longest such streak since December 2021.
Rennes pulled off a late comeback against OFI Crete (2-1) last Thursday to maintain their unbeaten UEL start to the season (W1, D1), a feat built on defensive discipline, as they rank top in the competition this term for expected goals against (0.79) and fewest shots faced (13). They failed to carry that solidity into the weekend though, losing 4-3 to Paris FC in a clash that highlighted their ongoing inconsistency (W2, D1, L2). Supporters travelling to Turin have further cause for concern given that Rennes are winless in three away games (D1, L2), failing to score in two of them.
Head-to-Head History
The sides’ only previous meetings came in a 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup final, as Juventus secured a 4-2 aggregate victory - part of a run that has seen Rennes lose all four of their European away matches in Italy against four different opponents.
Hot Stats and Streaks
Juventus have conceded six of their nine goals after half-time this season.
Eight of Juventus’ last ten home matches (W5, D3, L2) featured exactly two goals.
Rennes conceded 3+ goals in four of their last six away games (W1, D1, L4).
Fourteen of Rennes’ last 16 matches produced over 2.5 goals.
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Nick Woltemade can make Juventus history here by scoring in his first three major European main-draw matches for the club, which would make him the first player to achieve that feat this century. Ludovic Blas will be hunting his first goal of the season for Rennes, with five of his last seven strikes across all competitions having arrived after the 70th minute.
Juventus don't seem to have any fresh absentees, while Rennes appear to have a fully fit squad.
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Betting Analysis
Given Rennes' leakiness away from home along with the goalscoring trend in their games overall, backing a Juventus win and over 2.5 goals seems like a smart selection here.
Author: Tomáš Vlasák