Stade Rennais welcome OFI Crete for Europa League return

Stade Rennais FC return to Europa League action at home this Thursday, October 15th (9pm), against OFI Crete. It marks the club's first European fixture at Roazhon Park in over two and a half years, since a memorable 3-2 win over AC Milan on February 22nd, 2024.

None of the starting eleven from that night, where Benjamin Bourigeaud scored a hat-trick, remain at the club today. Ludovic Blas, who came on as a substitute, and Djaoui Cissé, an unused substitute, are the only survivors. The Breton side approaches this return in mixed form, with just one win and four defeats in their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent outing was a 4-1 victory over Auxerre, where top scorer Émile Lepaul, with four goals this season, opened the scoring.

An opponent in form

The Greek visitors arrive with confidence after a successful start to their European campaign. OFI Crete qualified by eliminating CSKA Sofia 3-0 in the play-offs, having lost the first leg 2-0. They marked their group stage debut with a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim. However, they suffered a heavy 3-0 league defeat to AEK Athens last Saturday. Having qualified by winning the Greek Cup last season against PAOK Thessaloniki in extra time, the Cretan club aims to confirm its status as a surprise package.

Their striker Aron Leya Iseka, brother of Michy Batshuayi, scored the decisive penalty in that final. The former Toulouse, Marseille, and Metz forward, who has faced Stade Rennais on three previous occasions, missed the last league match with a groin injury.

Cantalapiedra, the one to watch

The main offensive threat for OFI is likely to be Spaniard Aitor Cantalapiedra. A product of FC Barcelona's academy, with spells at Twente and Panathinaikos, the winger already faced Stade Rennais FC in October 2023 while playing for 'Pana'. He returned to Greece this summer after a stint in Brazil, scored against Hoffenheim, and has featured in every league match this season before being sent off early on matchday six. "Aitor has an exceptional shot, he works incredibly hard and is a player the crowd enjoys watching," said Ted van Leeuwen, Twente's former technical director.

In defence, Sturm Graz set the Matchday 1 speed record thanks to defender Joshua Quarshie, clocked at 35 km/h, ahead of Mousa Al-Tamari (34.3 km/h). OFI can also count on defender Nikolaos Athanasiou.

For Stade Rennais FC, this match is a chance to reconnect with European success and reverse a difficult domestic run. The team will be without the injured Quentin Merlin and Arnaud Nordin. The full schedule of upcoming games is on our fixtures page, while the current player roster can be found in the squad section. Kick-off at Roazhon Park is Thursday at 9pm.

More detail at staderennais.com