Europa League: Suazo omnipresent, Terrier from dream to nightmare... the tops and flops of the Rennes and Toulouse matches

Tops

If Toulouse won this evening by the smallest of margins against LASK (1-0), it is thanks to him. Taking advantage of a blocked ball in the area, he emerged in the 31st minute to open the scoring with a left-footed shot. But his match cannot be summed up by his goal. Predominant this Thursday evening, the left side was uncompromising defensively. Relieving his sometimes suffering team, he notably wards off the danger in a tight situation just before half-time (45th). He also stopped a counter in the 83rd, and was very skillful with his crosses and set pieces. A boss match.

It had been 14 years since Téfécé had last hosted a European Cup match. And for the occasion, the purple supporters rose to the occasion. In a sold-out venue, the entire stadium vibrated when the Europa League anthem rang out. Throughout the game, the 33,000 fans pushed their team. A welcome addition of soul for the Toulouse residents, in a meeting where they were sometimes dominated.

The Norwegian striker cruelly hurt the Rennais. Not always served by his partners this evening, he was often used as a support point by the Yellow Submarine. Very technically sophisticated, he regularly knew how to save intelligently for his teammates. But above all he scored a magnificent goal in the 36th minute. On a ball headed back by Truffert, he sent a powerful half-volley from 25 meters, which left Mandanda no chance. Always well placed, he was a danger until his exit in the 85th minute.

Flops

It must have been a dream evening for him. The story seemed written. Coming into play in the 81st minute of play after 275 days without playing, it was he who showed up to score the equalizing penalty against Reina (92nd). After a (very) long intervention by the VAR to finally award the penalty, Rennes' top scorer last season took off. Then failed against the Spanish goalkeeper. In the process, his header misses. It's hard to blame him, although one might wonder if it was his turn to hit that kick. His return to Roazhon Park next Sunday should be worth a look.

The Rennes scorer of the evening tried to make a difference in the match, but it was too little. In a sometimes closed part, he had a lot of difficulty existing. Despite the numerous crosses sent into the area throughout the game, he was never able to receive it. Released in the 64th by Bruno Genesio. His replacement Arnaud Kalimuendo was much more visible than him.

We had become accustomed to seeing the Stade de la Céramique filled with yellow and noisy. Unfortunately, we were far from it this evening. Despite the seats painted yellow, many places were empty and it was felt. This probably did not help the two teams to increase the pace of a game that was not always exciting. Not necessarily worthy of a European Cup match which, on paper, was full of promise. Hats off, however, to the Breton supporters, more than a thousand this evening and who made themselves heard.