With the dominance of the Premier League big hitters, other European clubs have had to settle for loan deals or cheaper fees for their targets.
Ivan Ilic (Hellas Verona to Torino)
With fellow Serbian Sasu Lukic leaving Torino for Premier League side Fulham, Torino pounced to get their hands on the ex Manchester City central midfielder.
Initially joining on a loan deal, Ilic will officially join in the summer for approximately £14 million. A big outlay for a club like Torino who traditionally rely on loan deals and free agents.
Ilic will provide Torino head coach Ivan Juric with a typical box to box option in the centre of the park. The Serbian is capable of progressing the ball extremely well as well as breaking up play to start attacks.
A player already accustomed to Ivan Juric and his style of play, Torino will hope to push further up the table and into the European spots for the first time in a decade with Ilic playing a pivotal role in midfield.
Ruslan Malinovski (Atalanta to Marseille)
After joining Atalanta in 2019 the playmaker became a key cog in Gian Piero Gasparini’s entertaining Serie A side. However due to a supposed fallout with the manager Malinovski has decided to join Marseille.
With coach Igor Tudor playing a similar system to Atalanta’s, Malinovski should feel right at home playing in an attacking midfield role behind Alexis Sanchez. The technical maestro will also deliver danger from set pieces, which is always a valuable asset.
The Ukrainian will aim to propel the French club into the title race as PSG continue to stall. Once again this deal is initially on a loan but expect the number ten to join in the long run if he performs well.
Philipp Max (PSV Eindhoven to Eintracht Frankfurt)
Once of Augsburg, the German left back has recently become a bench player in the Eredivisie. He therefore was eager to move back home, with the opportunity to join Bundesliga title hunters Frankfurt too big to turn down.
The left back will offer an attacking outlet down the left hand side and will be a valuable alternative to the more defensive minded Christopher Lenz.
With the title race hotting up in the Bundesliga, Max could prove to be a decisive signing for the Frankfurt based club who will also have hopes of making the Champions League quarter finals.
Hamad Junior Traore (Sassuolo to Bournemouth)
With Bournemouth’s failed attempt to sign Nicolo Zaniolo, the southern based side have instead decided to sign the energetic midfielder Traore from Sassuolo. The club have signed the player on a loan deal with an obligation to buy for up to £20 million if certain conditions are met.
The Ivory Coast international has been an important player for the green and blacks since 2019 and will inject high energy play into Bournemouth’s lacklustre midfield.
Traore will also add versatility to the squad as he is also comfortable as a number ten or playing on the left side of midfield. With a relegation scrap to come in the future, Gary O’Neil will hope Traore will bring quality to the Cherries.
Naouirou Ahamada (VFB Stuttgart to Crystal Palace)
With Crystal Palace spending little money in the summer they have decided to spend £10 million on rising star Ahamada from Bundeliga strugglers VFB Stuttgart.
The 20 year old midfielder is a supreme technician who has become an increasingly important player in Germany. With two goals and another two assists in league play this season, fans of the Die Schwaben will be disappointed to see another promising player leave.
With the other deadline day signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal, Patrick Vieria will be overjoyed with his midfield options coming into the second half of the season. Ahamada has all the tools to be an important part of Crystal Palace’s future.
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]]>Rafael Leao:
It may come as a surprise to some people that Rafael Leao has been included in this list as he sure made his mark in 2022, winning the Serie A MVP award as AC Milan swept to the Scudetto. However, the winger seems to have much more in his locker than he has already shown.
A quick, skillful and direct player, Leao has arguably become Milan’s most important player due to his ability to get past anyone at will. Hitting double figures in 2021/22 for both goals and assists in all competitions Leao is undoubtedly on his way to being World Class.
The 23-year-old made some superb cameos at the World Cup and bagged two goals on the biggest stage of all. A strong end to 2022 has carried over to 2023 where he scored in AC Milans first fixure of 2023 in a 2-1 victory over Salernitana.
In 2023 then Leao will be aiming to get AC Milan back on the pedestal of Italian football with his mesmerising runs and composed finishes. Come the summer we may see the Portuguese man earn a big move to a European super club with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City being heavily linked.
Alejandro Garnacho:
At 18 years of age, it is a testament to his ability that Garnacho has performed so well at senior level so far for the Red Devils. The Argentinian has already made a big impact for his side with winners in both the Europa League and the Premier League just before the break for the World Cup.
However, the winger has been publicly criticised by both his club manager, Erik Ten Hag and teammate, Bruno Fernandes for his poor attitude. Therefore in 2023 Garnacho will be aiming to put these allegations to bed and become an important player for his side.
With Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial in periods of poor form and Cristiano Ronaldo now plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, there are plenty of opportunities for Garancho to leave his mark. With his ability to dribble past defenders, he could offer United something they are currently lacking. Garnacho will also be hoping to make his debut for his national side in the near future after already training with Lionel Messi and co in 2022.
Christopher Wooh:
Arguably the most unknown in this list, Wooh currently plays for free-scoring Rennes in Ligue 1 after making his name at Lens in 2021/22. Wooh can play anywhere in the backline but is most comfortable in central defence where his pace, game reading and on-the-ball ability are utilised best.
With only a handful of starts so far for this season for Bruno Genesio’s side, Wooh will be aiming to work his way into the starting lineup where he can present his quality for all to see. With Rennes new boys Arthur Theatre and Joe Rodon struggling at the heart of defence, fans are calling for Wooh to be included in the starting XI and Genesio seems to have taken on their advice with a start vs Nice in 2023, culminating in a 2-1 victory.
With Rennes as free-scoring as ever it is important that they sort out their defensive frailties if they want to reach the promised land of the Champions League come the end of the season. This will also be Wooh’s aim who will want to establish himself in the team and stop the defence from leaking too many soft goals to the opposition.
Yunus Musah:
After leaving Arsenal’s academy, Musah has gone on to achieve big things for La Liga side Valencia. The midfielder started his career as a winger but his position change has worked wonders for his development at the top level.
After impressing for the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup Musah will be aiming for even more achievements in the coming year. A maestro in midfield, Musah is a clever player who is highly capable of keeping possession and advancing the ball through the lines with incisive passing or mazy dribbles.
With 29 league appearances for a poor Valencia side last season, Musah was one of only a handful of bright stars in an otherwise disappointing campaign, where his side finished ninth. He has deputised excellently for the departed duo of fan favourites Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin and gives Valencia fans hope for a better placing this time around.
Under new coach Genaro Gattuso, Valencia look somewhat like the impressive side of old with Musah playing a pivotal role in central midfield. The first name on the team sheet has taken well to the Italian’s tactics of quick attacking patterns and a solid defensive base. Valencia will have to work hard to keep their hands on their prized asset with big clubs always around the corner.
Randal Kolo Muani:
A surprise package at the World Cup (he was only included due to injuries), Muani was excellent in all his cameos and made a huge difference in the final, coming on in the first half as France fought back to claim a draw come extra time. With a goal to his name vs Morocco in the semi-final, he certainly announced himself to the World Stage.
With an outstanding tally of eight goals and eleven assists for Eintracht Frankfurt before the turn of the year, Kolo Muani looks like one of the best bargains in recent history when moving from Nantes to Germany for free. Muani is a versatile forward who has great link-up play and precise penalty box finishing as well as a mix of pace and grit which makes him a manager’s favouriote.
2023 will therefore play host to lots of opportunities for the Frenchman who has Champions League knockout football to look forward to as Frankfurt take on Serie A leaders Napoli. Now entrusted by Didier Deschamps Kolo Muani will be hungry to get back to regular football after the World Cup disappointment.
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Sofyan Amrabat
Not many people would have recognised Sofyan Amrabat before the tournament, in fact, it was likely that more people would have remembered Sofyan’s older brother Nordin, who turned out for Watford in the Premier League in the 2015/16 season. Nonetheless, the 26-year-old ended the tournament in most people’s teams of the tournament, as well as collecting accolades such as ‘the new Kanté’, having won possession 57 times – the most by any African player since the 1966 World Cup. Alongside his Moroccan teammate Azzedine Ounahi, Amrabat excelled in Qatar and significantly contributed to Morocco becoming the first-ever African side to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup.
Even before the tournament, there were some rumours linking Amrabat with a move away from Fiorentina, but the 2022 World Cup only added fuel to the fire, with some of the biggest clubs in the world now battling for the midfielder’s signature. If the latest rumours are to be believed, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur seem to be in a direct battle for the Moroccan, but Newcastle United, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, and Sevilla are also linked. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiorentina are only willing to let Amrabat go for at least €40m – with Liverpool only recently spending close to that for Cody Gakpo, does this give Tottenham an advantage in the race for the Atlas Lion?
Jude Bellingham
England midfielder Jude Bellingham was by no means an unknown entity before this winter’s World Cup, after already becoming one of the best young players in the world following his €25m move from Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund as a 17-year-old in 2020. However, this was perhaps the 19-year-old’s statement tournament, becoming a crucial member of the Three Lions’ midfield in Qatar. The Birmingham native had not scored for his national side ahead of the tournament, but in England’s opener against Iran, it was Bellingham who notched the first goal of the tournament for the Three Lions, also adding an assist for Jordan Henderson in the round of 16 tie against Senegal. At 19, Bellingham became one of the most important pieces of the England team, having finished first in shot-creating chances, tackles won, blocks, and dribbles completed out of the entire squad.
The Borussia Dortmund man’s stock has only risen after the 2022 World Cup, with the usual suspects, such as Real Madrid and PSG, linked with a move for the England star, but it seems more likely that the 19-year-old midfielder will head back to England, with Liverpool and Manchester City set to go head-to-head for his signature. Manchester City have already snapped up his good pal Haaland last summer, with City perhaps the more logical option for Bellingham, however, according to reports in England, Jude’s father is trying to convince his son to choose Liverpool instead. Only time will tell whether Bellingham will listen to his father or become his own man in 2023. gon
Enzo Fernández
Joško Gvardiol
Alexis Mac Allister
Dominik Livaković
Azzedine Ounahi
The Champions League gets back underway this week following the international break with several sides in desperate need of victories to spark their European campaign into life.
Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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Chesterfield’s Technique Stadium tonight plays host to some of the games elites’ as Marseille face Real Betis in a friendly.
Both clubs currently tour the UK, as they prepare for the start of their respective campaigns, with Marseille having already played Norwich, where they fell to a 3-0 defeat, and Middlesborough, where they lost 2-0.
For the newly crowned Copa Del Rey Champions, Real Betis, this game kicks off their pre-season tour of the UK, as they will also face Brentford on Saturday.
Former Premier League winning manager Manuel Pellegrini has included his new signing, central defender, Luiz Felipe in the squad for the UK tour as they look to build upon a fifth-place finish last season.
The newly capped Italian international joins Betis on a free after leaving Lazio, where he made 144 appearances across five seasons in the Eternal City, and will look to impress in Derbyshire tonight.
The player to watch for Los Verdiblancos is likely to be French World Cup winner, attacking midfielder, Nabil Fekir, who contributed six goals and eight assists in the Spanish top flight last campaign.
The 29-year-old almost became a signature signing for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool back in 2018 while at Lyon however, a £53m move collapsed at the last moment.
Pellegrini’s squad is as follows:
???
Our squad for the second stage of the preseason! pic.twitter.com/LE4Ikgbcrp
— Real Betis Balompié (@RealBetis_en) July 25, 2022
Marseille visits England as one of France’s most successful sides, with nine Ligue 1 titles, 10 French Cups, and holding the honour of being the only French winner of the Champions League. They are a club steeped in history and success.
Dimitri Payet is still their star man aged 35 amassing 22 goal contributions in 31 Ligue 1 games last season, that’s more goal contributions than current Balon D’or holder Lionel Messi, who managed 20 in league play.
A player to keep an eye on though is wing-back Jonathan Clauss, who has joined Igor Tudor’s side this summer in a £6.75m move from Lens amid strong interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
It has been a remarkable rise to glory for the 29-year-old, only making his top-flight debut in the 2020/21 season but since then Clauss has been named in back-to-back Ligue 1 Team of the Seasons, earning him his big move.
The explosive defender contributed five goals and 11 assists last season, more than Trent Alexander-Arnold for Liverpool, as he helped catapult Lens to a remarkable seventh-place finish.
New-boy Clauss joins up with his teammates in a star-studded Marseille squad:
??? ????? for the ?? tour. pic.twitter.com/SuCpE21jp0
— Olympique de Marseille ?? ?? (@OM_English) July 22, 2022
Both teams are without any injuries coming into the game, making for a mouth-watering tie where world-class players look to sprinkle their magic inside a stadium that has been compelled to non-league football since 2018.
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Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)
Lyon won their eighth Women’s Champions League Final in Turin defeating Barcelona 3-1 in front of a crowd of over 32,000.
If Barcelona’s women’s team had performed like their fans in the stands they would have won the European Cup final 5-0. But football does not work like that. On a hot evening in Turin, Barcelona started the game like the heat had gone to their heads.
After only five minutes, Amandine Henry hit a long range shot from 30 yards that flew into the top corner of the Barcelona net. It was a stunning strike for Henry who had only just returned to the team after being out for 20 months with a bad injury.
The early goal seemed to hit the Barcelona players hard. They could not get into any rhythm at all and gave the ball away too much in the midfield.
After 22 minutes Lyon doubled their lead when a ball came in from the left wing for Ada Hegerberg to produce a diving header from six yards out at the far post.
The crowd could not believe it and things were going to get worse for the Barcelona fans that far outnumbered the Lyon fans in the stadium.
Just ten minutes later Henry became the provider for the third goal for Lyon that was a defensive mess from start to finish for Barcelona. The Norwegian striker set up Catarine Macorio from close range to make it 3-0 to Lyon and Barcelona looked like a team that were going to implode.
Barcelona 2021 Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas pulled one back just before half time with a side foot volley to give them hope in the second half.
Barca came out and threw the kitchen sink at Lyon at the start of the second half. There was even an effort from just past the halfway line from Patricia Guijarro that had the Lyon keeper beaten but it hit the crossbar and came out. If that had of gone in, the roof would have come off the famous Juve stadium in Turin.
But Lyon showed why they are the most decorated women’s team at the European elite level in the game. They are the Queens of the dark arts of football. They tried to put Barcelona out of their stride, wasting time and slowing the game down whenever they could. In the end they hung on to win an eighth European title, breaking Barcelona hearts on the pitch and those of over 30,000 Barcelona fans in the stands.
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West Ham United will be gearing up for one of the biggest nights in the club’s history when they clash with Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final at The London Stadium tonight.
David Moyes’s men came from behind to triumph over Sevilla in extra time to reach the last eight, winning 2-1 on aggregate, while Lyon eliminated Porto by the same scoreline.
The Hammers, who will be appearing in just their fifth ever European competition quarter-final, rose to 6th in the Premier League table on Sunday, reviving their Champions League hopes with a 2-1 victory over Everton.
Lyon underwhelmingly sit 9th in Ligue 1, with the Europa League appearing to be their best chance of returning to European competition next season.
They will head into the tie off the back of a win themselves though, prevailing 3-2 winners over Angers on Sunday, despite being pegged back twice.
Manager Peter Bosz will have reason for optimism, with Lyon unbeaten in six games against English sides, which included most recently knocking out Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League back in the 2019-20 campaign.
Karl Toko-Ekambi will look to be the man to keep the record in tact, with the Cameroonian international aiming to add to the six goals and two assists he’s already provided in the competition. However, he faces a battle against time to be fit for tomorrow, having missed their victory over Angers with illness.
Meanwhile, David Moyes will be looking for Jarrod Bowen to continue from where he left off on Sunday, with the winger scoring on his return against the Toffees, taking his tally to 13 goals and 11 assists in all competitions this season.
West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini will miss the first leg with suspension after picking up his third booking of the tournament against Sevilla.
Full back Ben Johnson is a doubt with a hamstring problem which ruled him out of the Everton game, so Vladimir Coufal is expected to rival Ryan Fredericks for a starting spot.
Alphonse Areola is expected to start over Lukasz Fabianski in goal, with the Frenchman having started in their last seven Europa League games.
For Lyon, with Toko-Ekambi a doubt, Brazilian midfielder Tete will be pushing for a start, after netting the winning goal for his team in Sunday’s win over The Black and Whites.
Lenny Pintor, Rayan Cherki and Sinaly Diomande all remain long-term absentees.
Maxence Caquret is also set to miss out with a knee problem, so Thiago Mendes and Tanguy Ndombele are expected to partner each other in midfield.
Predicted Lineups:
West Ham: (4-2-3-1) Areola; Fredericks, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio
Lyon: (4-2-3-1) Lopes; Gusto, Boateng, Lukeba, Emerson; Mendes, Ndombele; Faivre, Paqueta, Aouar; Dembele
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Marc Albrighton is by no means in the bracket of Leicester’s top players. However, in his eighth season with the Foxes, the 32-year-old is still firmly in Brendan Rodgers’ plans and was a kingpin in the first leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 tie against Ligue 1 outfit Rennes.
The Englishman scored Leicester’s first against the French side on Thursday evening before assisting what could be a crucial second goal from substitute Kelechi Iheanacho.
After a strong opening 20 minutes from the visitors, Rodgers’ men rallied and grew into the game before Harvey Barnes’ cutback was met with a thumping strike from Albrighton that pummelled the roof of the net on the half-hour mark.
A second-half of little action suggested that the Foxes would be taking a one-goal lead to northwest France next week as they look to win the inaugural Conference League title, however, Mr. Reliable was at it again.
Following some half-hearted defending from Bruno Genesio’s side, the winger was found on the right-flank in acres of space to then cut back to substitute striker Iheanacho who made no mistake with the finish. A massive goal that could prove to be the difference in this tie.
Marc Albrighton goals are a rarity, with the 32-year-old’s only other two strikes this campaign coming in the league against Norwich City and FA Cup against Watford, with the Englishman netting a total of 18 in 277 appearances since making the switch across the Midlands from Aston Villa in 2014.
However, this isn’t the first time the Tamworth-born winger has been the star man in Europe for the Foxes.
Rewind back to 2016 when City were fresh from their miraculous Premier League title win and in the Champions League, the first test of the group stage was a trip to Belgian outfit Club Brugge.
Despite being newbies in Europe the fresh-faced Foxes ran out comfortable 3-0 winners, with Albrighton bagging the club’s first-ever Champions League goal in Belgium whilst also registering an assist in the home game against Brugge as the East Midlands outfit reached the quarter-finals.
The Englishman also scored another goal during that campaign as Leicester overcame a 2-1 deficit against Sevilla to beat the Spaniards 2-0 in the second leg of their round of 16 tie, with Albrighton netting the decisive goal at the King Power Stadium.
It took the Foxes over three years to experience European football again as their fifth-placed finish in 2019/20 secured Europa League football, despite being frustratingly close to finishing in the top-four.
Last season’s campaign in Europe wasn’t as prolific for Albrighton, although one of his seven assists in all competitions came away at Portuguese side Braga.
Having played just 37 minutes in the Europa League this term before Rodgers’ side were relegated to the newly-formed Conference League, the Englishman has already played 240 minutes in the third tier of European football and could prove to be a vital asset.
Leicester are currently the bookies’ favourites to be crowned the first-ever winners of the Europa Conference League and are in an excellent position to reach the quarter-finals after a disciplined display against Rennes on Thursday night.
Despite being favourites though, should the Foxes progress there are still some European heavyweights knocking around in the competition with Roma, PSV and Marseille all involved.
He may not be the most skilful or pacey wide man, but Marc Albrighton can certainly be a key player for Brendan Rodgers for the remainder of the campaign, with the Conference League appearing to be the most likely way of saving what has so far been a severely underwhelming season.
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]]>As recent seasons have gone by, more and more football fans have become aware of the happenings at Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennais, who have enjoyed stellar success in their recruitment over the last handful of years.
The Brittany establishment have bought numerous rough diamonds to then sell them on for major profit with Edouard Mendy, Ismaïla Sarr and Raphinha examples of Premier League arrivals that have come from the club based in the northwest of France.
On Thursday night, Rennes will take on a fifth British side in four seasons when they travel to Leicester City in the first leg of the Europa Conference League round of 16 stage, having played against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season as well as Chelsea, Celtic and Arsenal in European competitions over the previous three campaigns.
However, this is the lowest the Ligue 1 outfit have ranked in Europe since ending a six-year wait for continental football in 2018, with the tie against the Foxes being in the newly-formed Conference League.
Over the last four seasons, Les Rouge et Noir have finished sixth, third, tenth and fifth in the French top-flight, with a Coupe de France triumph in 2018/19 securing European football once again despite their lowest league finish since 2013/14.
Having finished bottom of their Champions League group last season, Bruno Génésio’s side are on course to enjoy the luxuries of Europe’s elite competition once again as they currently sit fourth in Ligue 1, having won five of their last seven matches.
However, the French side’s focus in Europe this season has been on the maiden Conference League campaign.
Having finished top of Group G ahead of Vitesse, Spurs and Mura, Rennes haven’t played in Europe for almost four months as their final group match away at Tottenham was postponed due to the North London club’s outbreak of positive Covid-19 cases, only for UEFA to deem the match forfeited in their favour.
Génésio will take his team to England though to take on a Leicester side who overcame Danish side Randers 7-2 on aggregate in the play-off round having dropped down from the Europa League after a disappointing campaign. Brendan Rodgers’ team, however, will certainly have ambitions of going all the way in the Conference League.
The Foxes were due to welcome back young French centre-back Wesley Fofana for the first time since he suffered a broken leg in a pre-season match against Valencia, but he has been ruled out due to a positive test for Covid-19.
After a tricky spell in the Premier League, Rodgers’ side go into the first leg off the back of two victories over Burnley and Leeds United, although they are still 12th in the league.
However, despite seeing the likes of Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Mendy (Chelsea), Raphinha (Leeds) and Sarr (Watford) depart over recent summers, the new crop of Rennes talent is certainly exciting.
19-year-old Belgian wonder kid Jeremy Doku is seemingly set to be the next star to eventually move on for greener pastures, with Newcastle United linked with a summer move.
However, this season has been overshadowed by injury struggles after a breakthrough campaign that ended with 90 minutes in Belgium’s 2-1 European Championship defeat to Italy, in which the winger won the penalty scored by Romelu Lukaku.
Doku has only managed to make 14 appearances across all competitions after suffering from a reoccurring hamstring injury, as well as a separate knee injury. However, the winger played 18 minutes on Sunday and registered an assist as Rennes beat Angers 2-0 and should be available for the trip to the East Midlands.
21-year-old French centre-back Loïc Badé could also be one for the future having joined from Lens in the summer, but he is currently nursing an abductor injury.
Rennes undoubtedly have a talented young squad, with their average age currently standing at 23.7 years, but the major threat across the two legs will undoubtedly be striker Gaëtan Laborde who is currently the joint-second top goalscorer in Ligue 1.
The 27-year-old Frenchman has had a stellar campaign thus far, scoring 19 goals in 32 appearances across the league and Europe, with the forward netting five times during Les Rouge et Noir’s five group matches in the Conference League.
Moreover Laborde, who signed from Montpellier at the end of the summer transfer window, has netted in each of his last three Ligue 1 matches.
Stade Rennais have been doing something special now for years and are certainly up there with one of the favourites to win the entire competition, alongside Leicester, as the two sides go into their mouthwatering round of 16 tie.
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Paris Saint-Germain reportedly will attempt to sign Nuno Mendes on a permanent deal from Sporting Lisbon this summer.
The Portuguese defender has impressed the club and fans since joining in the summer and is set to cost the Parisians £40 million.
At the beginning of the season, it was clear that the left-back position was an issue for PSG. Layvin Kurzawa was struggling to perform well while dealing with injuries and Juan Bernat missed the opening games with a ruptured cruciate ligament, meaning centre-back Abdou Diallo was filling in at full-back.
Mendes was signed on Deadline Day and got off to a relatively normal start at the club but soon cemented his place in the side. He started in his second appearance for Mauricio Pochettino’s side but was often rested in league games and played more minutes in the Champions League.
The 19-year-old has been preferred to Bernat in the more important Champions League games, starting in six of PSG’s seven games in Europe, due to both attacking and defensive prowess.
Mendes ranked in the 96th percentile for blocks, 89th percentile for pass completion and 80th percentile for dribbles completed when compared to full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues this season.
When compared to Bernat, Mendes has won the same amount of tackles this season but does it more frequently in the defensive third. He is more successful when pressuring opponents in all three-thirds of the pitch but has a slightly lower success rate when tackling players who are dribbling.
One of Mendes’ best performances this season came in PSG’s most recent Champions League fixture as they beat Real Madrid 1-0 thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s last-minute winner. Both Mendes and Mbappe started the game on the left side for the French giants and caused havoc to Madrid’s defence.
Defensively, Mendes accumulated five tackles, won nine of his 12 duels and cleared the ball once. He was only dribbled past twice despite facing the likes of Rodrygo and Gareth Bale, and most importantly, helped keep a clean sheet.
Although Mbappe’s attacking output was on a world-class level, Mendes also contributed to the forward-thinking of Pochettino’s team. He was successful in 100% of his dribble attempts, completed 86% of his passes and drew two fouls when advancing forward.
It is clear that Mendes is very comfortable moving up the pitch as his dribbling, passing, and more specifically, crossing ability is at a high level for someone of his age. Although he is still a few steps behind the best left-backs in the world, his statistics show that he is on the right path.
He creates 2.83 shot-creating actions per game compared to the 3.06 of Alphonso Davies and the 3.75 of Andrew Robertson. Mendes has fewer assists than the two other left-backs, although he has played fewer minutes, and the Portuguese international also has a lower percentage of shots that hit the target compared to the Bayern Munich and Liverpool defenders.
If the signing does become permanent, which seems very likely, Mendes is set to be an important part of PSG’s short-term and long-term ambitions.
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