Sturm Graz vs. Rennes - prediction, team news, lineups

Back in Europe after a three-year absence, Rennes travel to Graz to face Sturm Graz at Stadium Graz Liebenau, aiming to start their European campaign on a positive note. 

The French side are competing for the first time since the format change in 2024, and will hope to get up to speed against their Austrian opponents. 

For Sturm Graz, there may be a sense of what might have been after they could not get into the league phase of the Champions League. 

Having returned to the tournament proper in Europe's premier club competition in 2024-25 after 24 years away, the Blacks hoped for the same in 2026-27 but Fenerbahce put paid to their aspiration to be involved for the second time in three years. 

Needing to make do with Europa League football, Fabio Ingolitsch at least hopes that his side improve on last season's performance, which saw the Austrian outfit exit in the league phase after finishing 26th. 

Two of their successes in eight matches did come in Graz, where Die Schwoazn beat Rangers 2-1 and got the better of Brann 1-0, both results bookending a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest and a 1-0 loss to Red Star Belgrade. 

Given their pitiful 10-match run without an away win in the main stages of any European competition, including an ongoing nine-match losing streak, the need to claim positive results in front of their supporters is imperative.

Indeed, they will be hoping for some Rennes European rustiness after the Ligue 1 outfit's absence from continental football. 

Franck Haise's men finished sixth, originally ensuring Conference League participation, but they were beneficiaries of Lens' Coupe de France success, thus upgrading them to the main stage of the Europa League. 

Now, Les Rennais aim to start with an encouraging result in Graz, where their hosts have lost just one competitive fixture in 2026. 

That defeat, however, was inflicted by Fenerbahce in the Blacks' most recent continental match as hosts, and the travelling fans will hope for some away cheer in Wednesday's return to Europe. 

They have reason for optimism, considering that their side enter the midweek clash without defeat this season, having won three and drawn 2-2 against Paris Saint-Germain in four matchdays in the French top flight. 

Notable, nonetheless, has been a dearth of clean sheets — just one so far — and it will be interesting to see if their inclination to outscore the opposition stands them in good stead this week in Austria.

Seedy Jatta was withdrawn after 50 minutes against LASK at the weekend, making the forward's participation on Wednesday uncertain.

Leon Grgic (knee) and Emran Soglo (hamstring) are injury-enforced absentees for the Graz outfit, while Niklas Geyrhofer, Szymon Wlodarczyk and Axel Kayombo have not been included in the league phase squad. 

With Jatta doubtful, Otar Kiteishvili — scorer of 15 league goals last season — may have to carry the team's attacking responsibility against Rennes. 

The visitors' leading goalscoring threat is Esteban Lepaul, even if last season's 21-goal forward in Ligue 1 has failed to score in back-to-back top-flight matches before Wednesday. 

Nevertheless, Lepaul remains the only Rennes player to score more than one league goal, further underlining the away side's reliance on their striker. 

The French side are ostensibly without any sidelined player, giving Haise the full complement of his squad for matchday one.

Khudyakov; Heil, Vallci, Koller, Balbo; Weinhandl, Stankovic; Beganovic, Hodl, Diakite; Kiteishvili

Samba; Frankowski, Cresswell, Rouault, Merlin; Camara, Rongier, Thomasson; Blas, Lepaul, Tamari

While Rennes arrive as slight favourites given their unbeaten start to the season, their inability to consistently keep clean sheets could provide the hosts with a crucial lifeline. 

As such, the Austrian side are backed to frustrate their French opponents and claim a hard-fought point on matchday one.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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