How strong are Sturm Graz, Rennes’ first Europa League opponents? | OneFootball

Two years after facing Brest and Lille in the Champions League league phase, Sturm Graz meet a French club again, Rennes, this time in the Europa League on Wednesday at 21:00.

Rennes will gather at Ivica-Osim Square in Graz, named after the Yugoslav great of Bosnian origin who led Sturm from 1994 to 2002 and died in the city in 2022. They will discover the compact Liebenau Stadium, and according to L'Équipe, just over 12,000 of 15,400 seats had been sold by Tuesday evening.

Graz have opened the league with two wins, two draws and one defeat. On Sunday they beat leaders Linz 2-1, with Oumar Diakité, on loan from Reims in Ligue 2, on the scoresheet.

They swept past Hearts in July in the second Champions League qualifying round, 4-0 and 2-0, before falling to Fenerbahçe of Türkiye in the third round, 0-2 and 0-1.

Their last meetings with French sides came in the 2024 league phase, losses at Brest 1-2 and at Lille 2-3. Much of that squad has moved on and the coach has changed, with Fabio Ingolitsch, 34, now in charge.

Ingolitsch has described Sturm as outsiders, adding that they are happy to face a very good team with many individual talents. He could have fewer of those available, as right midfielder Filip Rozga and playmaker Otar Kiteichvili are only just back from injury.

Source: L'Équipe

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