Europa League: Rennes will face the Red Star Belgrade

Rennes could have reunited with Erik Edman by meeting Swedish side Helsingborg, return in the suffocating heat of Tbilissi or travel to Finland, but their road in the Europa League eventually led them to Belgrade.

The draw of the play-offs, completed this Friday in Nyon (Switzerland), has offered a tricky opposition to Stade Rennais, since they will face the Red Star of Belgrade. A winner of the 1991 Champions’ cup, the Serbian club isn’t as dominant as it used to be, having failed to be crowned Champion of Serbia since 2007, but remains one of the best clubs in its domestic league, with two second places over the last two seasons and a victory in the 2010 Serbian cup.
In its squad, the Serbian club has a few players well known in France, including former Lens player Nenad Kovačević, former Nantais Miloš Dimitrijević, and former Sochaux-man Duško Tošić.

Stade Renes, who will have the disadvantage of playing the return leg on the road, will therefore have their work cut out to reach the group stage. In that aim, they will have to make the difference at the Route de Lorient before facing the pressure of the very vocal Serbian supporters in the return leg. The first leg is scheduled on August 18th, the return a week later, on the 25th.