Stade Rennais defender Nayef Aguerd and midfielder James Léa-Siliki will have to play uninhibited this Wednesday against Sevilla FC.

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Damien Meyer / AFP

  • Stade Rennais moves to Sevilla FC on Wednesday for its second Champions League match.

  • Deprived of Camavinga and Nzonzi, the Bretons are doomed to the feat against a large engine used to European games.

  • Stéphan's men will be able to count on a warrior spirit which animates the team each time it is in the role of outsider.

The tactical implementation made Tuesday by Julien Stéphan is obsolete.

Deprived of his midfielder Steven Nzonzi, suspended last minute by UEFA for a gesture of humor towards a bottle of water, the Breton coach will have to concoct an unprecedented training this Wednesday for the second match of the Champions League against to the experienced Sevilla FC.

But that's not all.

New to the competition, Stade Rennais will also have to do without Eduardo Camavinga and Flavien Tait, injured, and deal with the express integration of recruits who have arrived at the very end of the transfer window.

We saw more serenity to prepare for such an important match.

Especially since the Breton team clearly shows the blow, after a great start to the season.

Should we be worried?

Of course not.

Because the Stade Rennais is an unpredictable and wild animal, which it is impossible to tame.

It was undoubtedly one of the best evenings in Rennes football.

On the evening of February 22, 2019, the Bretons eliminated Betis Seville in a Benito Villamarin stadium that had become silent.

However, it was thought that Mbaye Niang and his clique had mortgaged their chances of qualification by conceding a draw (3-3) in the last minutes at Roazhon Park.

On the way back, we discovered uninhibited Rennes residents who logically imposed themselves.

Can the miracle happen again this Wednesday?

“We arrive as an outsider, especially after what happened before leaving (the unexpected suspension of Nzonzi).

But it can, it must, galvanize us, ”summarizes the coach Julien Stéphan.

Come on let's put aside the rotten mood of the moment and bring back the 3 points #SFCSRFC #SRFC

- Pauline 🔴⚫️🏆 (@paupau_bzh) October 28, 2020

It's a fact, the Bretons like to surprise.

And this role of outsider in this homogeneous Pool E suits them perfectly.

The Parisians remember it, they who saw the Coupe de France escape them while they were leading 2-0.

"Sufficiency", we could hear in the spans of the Stade de France.

Without a doubt.

But also abnegation, because their opponent never seems as strong as when he is back to the wall.

“It will take a huge performance to bring back points in Brittany,” warns Stéphan, lucid, who is waiting to see warriors on the lawn.

“We made the promise to play all the matches of this Champions League thoroughly, from start to finish.

We will, ”promises the coach.

"It's dangerous to listen to too much praise"

To evoke this status of outsider, there are no shortage of examples.

From the unexpected victory in Lyon for the first of Stéphan on the bench, to the spanking stuck to Arsenal last year… Before the rout on the way back.

What if Stade Rennais did not know how to manage?

The draws conceded against Reims, Dijon, Krasnodar, then the defeat against Angers seem to confirm this.

Rennes doesn't like to be a favorite.

“It's dangerous to listen to too much praise,” Stéphan had warned before the Reims reception.

The results suggest he was right.

This Wednesday, his team will have to find a soul and a heart, failing to have automatisms or experience.

Because opposite, Jesus Navas and his 500 matches in the red and white jersey are advancing with a well-oiled machine, even if the attack is a little seized at the beginning of the year.

“Sevilla are a team that likes to have the ball.

We have to be ready to run a lot, ”warns striker Serhou Guirassy.

In an empty stadium, the Bretons will be keen to reject the pressure on their opponents, who, like them, conceded a draw for their entry into the matter against Edouard Mendy's Chelsea.

At kick-off this evening at 9 p.m., the players in the match will know the outcome of the group's other match between Krasnodar and Chelsea, which is played at 7 p.m.

For its second match in the competition, Rennes will have only one mission: to play.

This is perhaps something that the Marseillais forgot yesterday against City.

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