PLAYER RATINGS | Sturm Graz 0-0 Rennes: Wasteful Bretons held to Europa League stalemate

UEFA Europea League, Matchday 1, 16/09/2026

Rennes started their Europa League campaign with a disappointing draw against Sturm Graz. The visitors could not convert the many chances that fell their way.

937 days after their last European tie, in which Benjamin Bourigeaud scored a hat-trick against AC Milan , Rennes returned to the European stage. Les Rouge et Noir kicked off their Europa League campaign of the back of a strong start to the Ligue 1 season, with 10 points out of a possible 12.

Rennes thought they had an early lead in Styria with Adrien Thomasson scoring in back-to-back games, after he struck against Marseille last week. But the midfielder's effort was chalked off for handball. Both teams were particularly wasteful in those early exchanges. Rennes mostly struggled to break open Graz's five-men defense, but the hosts were toothless. Sturm Graz had a disallowed goal on their own with Paul-Friedrich Koller heading home Joshua Quarshie 's deflection, but the former was offside.

To encapsulate how low-quality the first half was, Sturm's first shot on target occured at the 38th minute. Still, barring an Estéban Lepaul attempt, Rennes were barely better going forward. The visitors lacked consistency, urgency and an edge in the final third.

The trend carried on in the second half. Lepaul missed more chances, and Sturm Graz started to feel blood. Brice Samba came up clutch to deny Belmin Beganovic, who easily breezed past Anthony Rouault . The second half proved a scrappy affair as both teams continued to spurn chance after chance through sheer clumsiness, as shown by Bryan Reynolds letting the ball out of bounds before he could cross it. The American full-back also wasted a point-blank chance.

In the end, a goalless draw is a fair reflection of how Sturm Graz and Rennes have been wasteful tonight. Les Rouge et Noir also had some late scares to eventually salvage a point. Rennes will host OFI Crete FC for Matchday 2 of the Europa League next month.

The France international goalkeeper had a mostly quiet night out in Austria , but everytime he was called upon, he emphatically answered, dishing out a couple of good saves. Solid in his distribution too.

The English defender kept it clean and tidy at the back. The former Toulouse FC has been a decent addition to the club's back-line following Jérémy Jacquet 's switch to Liverpool .

After an all-action cameo off the bench against Marseille, the Jordanian winger dropped off a level or two tonight. Although he put some decent crosses in, his decision-making was questionable, and he lost countless balls in the final third.

For his first European game of his career, the France international-hopeful didn't make an impression. He lacked ruthlessness in his finishing, his positioning was off (three offsides in the first half) and his hold-up play was found lacking.