Juventus v Rennes: Europa League prediction, predicted line-ups and team news

Matchday three of the Europa League league phase is early enough that nobody is in trouble, but late enough that the table has started to take shape.

Juventus sit top on six points from two wins, with a goal difference of plus six that nobody else in the competition can better.

Rennes are 13th on four points, which is comfortably inside the play-off places but a long way from the automatic spots the leaders are eyeing.

A win in Turin would keep Juventus at the head of a crowded group of two-win sides, while Rennes would love to prove that a draw and a win make a platform rather than a plateau.

One team arrives full of goals and the other full of possession, so it is an intriguing mix.

Juventus have started with two wins from two, beginning with a 5-0 home thrashing of NEC Nijmegen.

They followed that with a 2-1 win away at Celta Vigo on 15 October, which means seven goals scored and one conceded so far.

Rennes have taken a more cautious route. They opened with a goalless draw away at Sturm Graz on 16 September.

They then beat OFI 2-1 at home on 15 October, both of their goals coming in the last 15 minutes.

That late burst is worth remembering, because it is their only scoring so far this season in the competition.

Rotation is a luxury Juventus may not have, given how many names are missing from the squad list.

With so many absentees, the hosts have little choice but to run with a familiar core, and the two wins from two have given them no reason to tinker.

Rennes have averaged 64.5% possession and 24 shots across their two games, which suggests a side that plays the same way regardless of the opposition.

They are a fortnight into their Europa League campaign with a clean bill of form, so a heavy reshuffle looks unlikely.

However, a European night in Turin is a big stage, and the visitors might keep one eye on the weekend.

Juventus are likely to line up in the 3-4-2-1 they have used so far: Vicario; Kalulu, Bremer, Gatti; Çelik, Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz, Cambiaso; McKennie, Boga; Kolo Muani.

Rennes have switched between a 4-3-3 and a 4-1-4-1 so far, and a back four with a busy midfield looks the likeliest shape again: Samba; Frankowski, Rouault, Cresswell, Merlin; Rongier, Soumaré, Szymański; Tamari, Do Marcolino, Mayenda.

With so many absentees on the home side, there is more guesswork than usual in the Juventus midfield.

Kick-off at the Allianz Stadium is at 17:45 BST on Thursday 22 October.

The Europa League is shown on TNT Sports where selected, though the exact channel for this fixture has not been confirmed and this page will be updated closer to kick-off.

This is a single league-phase match rather than a two-legged tie, so there is no extra time. Every league-phase game is settled over 90 minutes, and a draw simply means a point each.