Europa League: Rennes helpless in Villarreal, Toulouse gleans its first success

Contrasting evening for French clubs in the Europa League. Rennes was beaten on the lawn of the Spanish club Villarreal (1-0). The Bretons won a penalty in the last minute but Martin Terrier, back after nine months of injury, came up against José Reina.

For its part, Toulouse obtained its first victory in the competition by defeating Linz ASK, an Austrian team (1-0).

Too messy but combative until the end, Stade Rennes conceded its first defeat of the season. The Red and Black thus fall to second place in Group F, tied on points with their evening opponents, and one point behind the Greeks of Panathinaikos, first after their 0-0 draw against Maccabi Haifa.

The Rennais were unable to take advantage of the current excitement of the Spaniards, 13th in Liga with four defeats in eight games, and experienced another frustrating European evening.

Authors of a too tender start to the match, Bruno Genesio's men were punished on the Spaniards' second opportunity, the Norwegian Alexander Sorloth opening the scoring with a powerful left-footed shot from outside the area (36th, 1 -0). His fifth goal in all competitions, the first in the Europa League.

Without confidence in their game, the semi-finalists of the C1 in 2022 and winners of the C3 in 2021 responded with physical impact to break the Rennes rhythm.

Harmless in the first half, the latter were much sharper in the second thanks to the entries of Gouiri, Kalimuendo and Le Fée, without managing to materialize their highlights.

Like Blas (68th), Kalimuendo (75th) and especially Martin Terrier, unfortunate hero of this end of the match, 275 days after his serious knee injury.

While he had the ball for the equalizer at the end of his foot for his return to the field, the former Strasbourg player missed the target from close range (82nd), before the Rennais obtained a penalty for a foul by Pedraza who surrounded Blas in the area (86th).

Following an endless VAR check, Terrier took responsibility but his attempt was stopped by ex-Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina (92nd), and his header went wide.

A cruel outcome, where the experience that young Rennes still lack to achieve a result in this kind of situation made the difference.

This result, however, does a lot of good for the yellow submarine, far from its usual standards and which had not won since August 18, against Mallorca in La Liga (1-0).

Before challenging the great Liverpool, Toulouse took on Wednesday in front of its audience against Linz (1-0), the most affordable opponent in its group, the three points necessary to hope to extend its adventure in the Europa League.

Fourteen years after TFC's last European match at home and a success against Partizan Belgrade (1-0), the audience at the Stadium has undoubtedly indulged in a slight excess of optimism.

“We are going to win the European Cup,” he sang several times during this warm autumn evening, concluded by the only victory of the four French teams entered in the Europa League.

After their good inaugural draw with the Belgians Union Saint-Gilloise (1-1) and before a tempting double confrontation with Liverpool, the Toulouse residents are still undefeated and are currently in a qualifying position, in second place in the group E behind the English.

But they will need a little more to go all the way than what they showed against the third in the Austrian championship.

Hindered by LASK's pressing, the winners of the Coupe de France have long had difficulty getting out of their camp. They still opened the scoring, thanks to Chilean full-back Gabriel Suazo, an opportunist on one of his team's first real incursions into the opposing area (31st).

With a sold-out crowd for these European reunions, the Stadium didn't have much else to eat offensively, apart from an uncrossed header from Dutch striker Thijs Dallinga superbly diverted onto his line by the Austrian goalkeeper (68th) or a long shot from Denis Genreau (78th).

Without the central defender Logan Costa, hero of the Cup final against Nantes (5-1), suspended, nor the Dutch midfielder on loan from Lens Stijn Spierings, not qualified for the Europa League, the “Téfécé” especially gritted his teeth in the second act to maintain his advantage.

Striker Marin Ljubicic, alone facing the empty goal, missed the equalizer (58th), Bleuets goalkeeper Guillaume Restes was solid and Toulouse can still dream of “winning the European Cup”.

Before going against the Reds at Anfield at the end of the month, Carles Martinez Novell's men will return to Ligue 1 on Sunday against other reds, those of Brest.