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Villarreal are set to play Rennes at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Thursday in the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
Villarreal come into this game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Getafe in their most recent league game. Villarreal had winger Alex Baena sent off in the first-half.
Rennes, on the other hand, beat Nantes 3-1 in their most recent league game. Goals from midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud, young midfielder Desire Doue and attacker Arnaud Kalimuendo secured the win for Rennes. Spanish midfielder Pedro Chirivella scored the goal for Nantes.
Villarreal vs Rennes Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This is the first time Villarreal are facing Rennes in this competition.
- Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth has scored four goals in eight league starts for Villarreal this season.
- Winger Alex Baena has managed five goal contributions in eight league starts for Villarreal this season.
- Winger Ibrahim Salah has scored three goals in one league start for Rennes this season.
- Attacker Arnaud Kalimuendo has scored two goals in four league starts for Rennes this season.
Villarreal vs Rennes Prediction
Villarreal are currently 13th in the league. They let go of Quique Setien nearly a month ago, and replaced him with Pacheta as manager. They did sell some quality players this summer, with the likes of Pau Torres, Nicolas Jackson and Samuel Chukwueze all leaving the club. However, Villarreal's recent seasons indicate that they are better than the 13th position they currently occupy.
The Spanish side did not enjoy a good start to their European campaign; Panathinaikos beat them 2-0 in their previous game.
Rennes, on the other hand, are 6th in the league, and have drawn five of their first seven league games. Like Villarreal, they sold some of their stars this summer, with players like Jeremy Doku, Lesley Ugochukwu and Lovro Majer all leaving the club for a combined fee of €112 million.
They have made some smart signings though, with midfielders Enzo Le Fee and Ludovic Blas joining the club. They also managed to beat Maccabi Haifa in their previous European game, so will have some confidence coming into this fixture.
Villarreal have some pedigree in this tournament, having beaten Manchester United to lift the trophy in 2021. But Rennes might just have enough here to emerge victorious.
Prediction: Villarreal 0-1 Rennes
Villarreal vs Rennes Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result- Rennes
Tip 2: game to have over / under 2.5 goals- under 2.5 goals
Tip 3: Rennes to keep a clean sheet- yes
