The team has already secured a place in the Europa League playoffs. Despite this, Rennes needs to win or draw with Villarreal to remain at the top of the group. The French team has gathered 12 points out of 15 possible in the group stage an excellent result. In five matches, they conceded only three goals while scoring 11. It’s worth noting that the ‘Red and Blacks’ have won their last three matches in the tournament. The team defeated Panathinaikos twice (2-1 and 3-1) and secured a victory over Maccabi Haifa (3-0), scoring eight goals during this period. In the French league, the team is struggling, currently occupying the modest 13th place in the standings, just three points above the relegation zone.
The Spaniards have also secured a place in the Europa League playoffs, but before the last round, Villarreal has a chance to reach the 1/8 finals by defeating Rennes. In their recent matches, the ‘Yellow Submarine’ has been consistently earning points. In five games across all competitions, they lost only to Real Sociedad (0-3) and recorded two draws and two wins. In the last round of the tournament, the club defeated Panathinaikos (3-2), narrowly preserving a three-goal advantage. Earlier, they showed determination by securing a comeback victory over Maccabi Haifa (2-1). In the previous head-to-head encounter, the Spaniards secured a narrow victory (1-0), scoring the only goal in the first half.
