Juventus and Rennes Aim to Turn the Page on Domestic Disappointment

The "Bianconeri" hope that a return to the European stage will provide a breather and an opportunity to reconcile with their fans after their domestic struggles, and they will look to build on coming from behind to beat hosts Celta Vigo of Spain 2-1 last Thursday, which kept them among ten teams that have made a flawless start to the league phase of the Europa League.

In turn, Rennes came from behind to defeat visiting Greek side OFI 2-1 last Thursday thanks to a late goal, thus maintaining their unbeaten record at the start of their Europa League campaign (one win and one draw).

This success is built on a strong defensive discipline, as the club boasts the best expected goals conceded rate in the competition (0.79) and has also faced the fewest shots (13), but they failed to maintain this solidity over the weekend, losing to Paris FC 3-4—a result that reflects the ongoing instability in their results (2 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats).

Furthermore, the fans traveling to Turin have additional reasons for concern, as Rennes has not won any of their last three away matches (1 draw, 2 defeats) and failed to score in two of them.

The two teams have met only once before in the final of the European Intertoto Cup in 1999, where Juventus won 4-2 on aggregate across both legs, as part of a sequence that saw Rennes lose all four of their away European matches in Italy against four different opponents.

German striker Nick Woltemade, on loan from English club Newcastle, has a chance to enter Juventus history if he scores against Rennes, as he would become the first player to find the net in his first three matches in the main stages of a major European competition in the 21st century.

The chances of Germany's Bayer Leverkusen, the 2024 runners-up, look strong to achieve their third consecutive win when they visit OFI and restore pride for German football, following the latter's 2-0 win over Hoffenheim in the first round.

The two sides have met only once previously when Leverkusen won 1-0 in the Intertoto Cup in 1995.

Leverkusen started their Europa League campaign with two consecutive wins and six goals without conceding, confirming their status as one of the leading candidates to contend for the title.

Their European involvement has not affected their domestic results, as they head into this match coming off a seven-match unbeaten streak across all competitions (six wins and one draw).

This positive momentum is directly reflected in their European results, as Bayer enters this clash having suffered just one defeat in their last 16 Europa League matches (11 wins, 4 draws). They are also unbeaten in their last seven away games in the competition, keeping four clean sheets (5 wins, 2 draws).

An Unprecedented Evening for Bournemouth

The biggest night in the history of English club Bournemouth is on the horizon when they host Italian giants AC Milan, seven-time winners of the UEFA Champions League, at the Vitality Stadium.

Bournemouth awaits an unprecedented evening at a time when the team is beginning to regain its balance.

Their 2-0 victory over Sunderland on Sunday was their first Premier League win under the leadership of their German coach Marco Rose (3 draws, 3 defeats), and they are striving on Thursday to secure three consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time since December 2024.

In contrast, Milan is enjoying a standout start under the leadership of their Portuguese coach Rúben Amorim (5 wins, 3 draws, 1 defeat). The team maintained its unbeaten record in the league thanks to a 3-2 victory over Atalanta on Sunday.

Their only defeat this season came in the opening round of the Europa League against Portugal's Benfica 0-2. The Rossoneri responded strongly by thrashing Austrian side Salzburg 4-0 last week.

Amorim now hopes to secure his first victory as a manager against Bournemouth, having previously failed to do so during his time as Manchester United coach (2 draws, 1 defeat), while maintaining his unbeaten away record in the group or league stage of the competition (4 wins, 2 draws).

Furthermore, Milan itself has not suffered any away defeats this season (2 wins, 3 draws).

Bournemouth will become the 12th different English team that Milan has faced. The Lombardy club traditionally struggles on English soil, having claimed only two victories in their last 22 visits there in major European competitions (7 draws, 13 defeats).

A third consecutive win will also be the goal for Benfica when they visit Omonia, the Cypriot champions who have also achieved two successive wins, alongside French side Lyon visiting Hoffenheim, English club Sunderland visiting Polish side Lech Poznań, Turkish club Besiktas hosting English side Crystal Palace, Greek side Olympiacos welcoming Czech side Sparta Prague, and Hungarian side Ferencváros facing visiting Portuguese side Torrense.