Rennes face unbeaten Olympiakos in Europa League test at Roazhon Park

Rennes and Olympiakos, both unbeaten in this season’s Europa League, meet at Roazhon Park on Wednesday in the fourth round of matches. Rennes are 13th after drawing 2-2 at Juventus, while Olympiakos sit fifth, four points clear following a 1-0 home win against Sparta Prague.

Rennes’ contrasting home and away form has been a feature of their 2026-27 campaign in Ligue 1 and Europe. Franck Haise’s side have not lost at Roazhon Park this season and are seeking a sixth successive home victory.

They could also record consecutive home wins in the group stage of this competition for the first time since 2023. However, consistency has been a concern: since September, Rennes have managed back-to-back victories in official matches only once.

Their defensive record has worsened in recent weeks, with 11 goals conceded across their past four competitive fixtures, including a 5-2 Ligue 1 defeat by Nice last weekend. Rennes do, however, have a perfect record against Greek clubs in the Europa League, conceding only one goal in each of those matches.

Olympiakos arrive in strong form

Olympiakos have made significant progress since being eliminated from Champions League qualification by NEC Nijmegen, who overturned the tie to win 2-1 on aggregate. Imanol Alguacil’s side have lost only one of their past 15 official matches and travel to France on a run of nine consecutive victories.

They have won their past five away games in all competitions. Their only defeat on the road this season came in a 2-1 loss at Nijmegen during Champions League qualifying.

Olympiakos are one of five teams with a perfect record in the league phase of this competition before matchday four, and have avoided defeat in their past 10 Europa League group-stage matches. Since losing 3-1 at AC Milan in 2018, they have not lost away in this competition’s league phase after scoring first.

The Greek club have lost three of their four Europa League meetings with French sides, although their most recent visit to France brought a 1-0 victory over Marseille at Stade Velodrome on matchday two.

Rennes’ Europa League form is NVN, with their overall sequence standing at VVDNVD. Olympiakos are VVV in Europe and VVVVVV in all competitions.

Rennes’ Ligue 1 top scorer Esteban Lepaul is expected to miss out while recovering from an ankle sprain. First-choice goalkeeper Brice Samba is doubtful with a leg injury.

Musa Al-Taamari and Boulaye Dia scored in the first half against Juventus, registering their first goals in this competition. The listed recommendations are Rennes to win at 2,08, Boulaye Dia to be decisive at 2,15, and Adrien Thomasson to be decisive at 3,10.

Kostas Fortounis is expected to miss the match for Olympiakos. Former Lille player Yusuf Yazici is sidelined by a cruciate ligament rupture, while Ayoub El Kaabi has a broken tibia. Armando Gonzalez scored his second Europa League goal on matchday three and is the club’s leading scorer. Stefan Ortega made one save to claim his second clean sheet of the tournament.

Probable teams

Rennes: Lemaitre; Ait Boudlal, Cresswell, Rouault; Reynolds, Cisse, Rongier, Camara, Thomasson; Al-Taamari, Mayenda.

Olympiakos: Ortega; Saliakas, Retsos, Pirola, Onyemaechi; Freuler, Hezze; Martins, Chiquinho, Silva; Gonzalez.

Rennes have been more compact and defensively secure at home, and are expected to find a way past an organised Olympiakos side that can adopt a passive approach away from home.

By Hubert de The