First place will be up for grabs in Group B action at the Europa League on Thursday as Rennes pay their first-ever visit to Turkey to battle Fenerbahce at Sukuru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on matchday five.
Both teams have already booked their place in the knockout stage with 10 points each, with the Turks slightly ahead, having scored one more goal.
Match preview
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They left it too late in the 2021-22 Europa League group stage, but a season after their failure to make the knockout round, San Kanaryalar took care of business earlier this season.
Jorge Jesus has guided them back into the knockout portion of this competition, while they have played splendidly in the domestic campaign, leading the Super Lig with 23 points after 10 matches.
Fenerbahce have won 10 straight matches in all competitions, posting back-to-back clean sheets domestically, while they have not lost a home fixture since dropping a 2-1 decision to Dynamo Kiev in the second qualifying round in the Champions League.
On Thursday, the Turks have a chance to win three successive Europa League encounters for the first time since December 2016, though they have only won two of their last 14 European meetings versus French clubs.
After four matches in the group stage of this tournament, half of their goals scored (4/8) have come with fewer than 15 minutes remaining, claiming four points thanks to injury-time strikes, including on matchday two when they drew Rennes 2-2.
Heading into their previous group game at AEK Larnaca, Fenerbahce had forced 34 turnovers, second only to Real Sociedad at that point of the tournament, though they had only managed two shots when regaining possession.
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Since the end of August, we have seen a very different Rennes side than the one that began the 2022-23 campaign, with Les Rouge et Noir unbeaten in 12 straight matches in all competitions.
Bruno Genesio has seen his team come alive in the attacking third domestically over that run, scoring three or more goals in five of their last eight Ligue 1 affairs.
They have conceded a goal or fewer in all but two games since a 3-1 victory over Brest to wrap up the month of August.
Rennes have done a much better job at settling into their road fixtures in Europe of late, winning five of their previous six away games in European competitions after seven straight losses.
While they are currently tied for the second-most goals scored in Ligue 1 this season (25), Les Rennais have played a lot more organised along the backline away from home, conceding a goal or fewer in six consecutive matches in all competitions, posting a clean sheet in their previous Europa League clash at Dynamo Kiev (1-0).
Thursday will only be the second time they face a Turkish opponent in a European competition with their first one coming on matchday two when they conceded an injury-time strike at home to Fenerbahce.
Five of their eight goals scored in the group stage have come in the second half, with Rennes winning two matches in this season's competition thanks to a goal with fewer than five minutes remaining.
Team News
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Michy Batshuayi has scored in each of his last two appearances in the Europa League, putting home the winner on matchday four, as he is second in goals so far with three, while their goalkeeper and captain Altay Bayindir has posted back-to-back clean sheets domestically, allowing only one goal in two home fixtures at this season's tournament.
Enner Valencia, who scored the equaliser in their previous encounter versus Rennes, leads the Super Lig with 10 goals, though it was Diego Rossi who had the only strike in a 1-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir on Saturday.
Luan Peres remains on the sidelines because of an unknown problem, while Mert Hakan Yandas is still nursing a knee injury which will keep him out until early November.
Amine Gouiri has scored in his last four Ligue 1 fixtures, though it was Lovro Majer, the scorer of their second goal in the opening fixture versus Fenerbahce, who had the winner against Angers this weekend in injury time.
Steve Mandanda picked up his first clean sheet of the competition in their previous match, stopping two Dynamo Kiev efforts, with the winning goal coming courtesy of Christopher Wooh, his first of the tournament.
Baptiste Santamaria is not expected to return until early 2023 with an ankle injury, while Genesio made three changes to his starting 11 from matchday three to four as Wooh, Desire Doue and Arnaud Kalimuendo began their second match versus Dynamo instead of Joe Rodon, Flavien Tait and Gouri.
Fenerbahce possible starting lineup:
Bayindir; Szalai, Henrique, Aziz, Kadioglu; Alioski, Lincoln, Yusek, Crespo; Rossi, Valencia
Rennes possible starting lineup:
Mandanda; Meling, Theate, Wooh, Assignon; Ugochukwu, Majer, Bourigeaud; Tait; Terrier, Gouiri
We say: Fenerbahce 1-1 Rennes
These two balanced sides have played well defensively and in the attacking third in this competition, and they each possess plenty of potential match-winners.
Knowing they are both assured of advancing into the next round would suggest there might not be as much urgency or intensity on either side for this game, so we anticipate the main objective for each will be to ensure no one is seriously injured.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
