Rennes had the Austrian night under control for long spells, then watched it turn restless at the finish. Franck Haise’s side left Graz with a 0-0 Europa League draw, carrying both the reassurance of resilience and the sting of chances missed.
Rennes Held in Graz Despite Second-Half Pressure
Quick facts
- Rennes drew 0-0 away to Graz in their opening Europa League match.
- Adrien Thomasson had an early goal ruled out for handball after a VAR check.
- Graz also saw a first-half effort disallowed for offside.
- Esteban Lepaul missed several opportunities after the interval and was denied by the home goalkeeper.
- Rennes finished with 23 attempts to Graz’s 11.
- Haise’s Europa League winless run now stands at 17 matches.
Haise had altered his team by one player in each line from the Rennes side that beat Marseille 1-0 in Ligue 1 last weekend. The visitors began with authority and, for much of the first half, gave Graz little room to build a threat.
The match might have taken a different direction in the eighth minute. Thomasson appeared to put Rennes ahead, only for VAR to identify a handball by the midfielder in the move.
Graz had their own disappointment in the 35th minute, when a goal was chalked off for offside. By then, Rennes had largely controlled the contest without converting their territorial advantage into a valid breakthrough.
The sharper opportunities arrived after the break, and Lepaul was at the centre of them. The striker sent three efforts off target in the 46th, 55th and 56th minutes before finally testing the Austrian goalkeeper five minutes later.
Rennes kept pressing, with Valentin Rongier introduced to bring greater order in midfield. Mahdi Camara struck the post, but the visitors gradually lost some of their balance as Graz found energy late on.
Brice Samba was needed to protect the point. The Rennes goalkeeper produced important saves from Jacob Hödl in the 57th and 70th minutes, helping prevent a frustrating night from becoming a damaging one.
The draw ends neither side’s opening Europa League evening with much certainty. Rennes had the volume, the possession of the match and the better shooting numbers, but Haise will know his team needed more precision when the openings came.
SEO Title: Rennes Draw 0-0 in Graz After Missed Europa League Chances
SEO Description: Rennes were held to a goalless Europa League draw in Graz despite 23 shots, a disallowed Adrien Thomasson goal and late saves from Brice Samba.
