Juventus to continue winning streak in Europa League

Both Italian side Juventus and their French guests Rennes are eager to quickly put behind them the disappointment of their recent domestic defeats as they face each other today in Turin in the third round of the UEFA Europa League, aiming to maintain their perfect records.

Juventus suffered a 3-0 home loss to Lazio in Serie League on Sunday, marking their second defeat in seven matches (three wins, two draws), which has increased pressure on their coach, Luciano Spalletti.

The Bianconieri hope that returning to European competition will provide an outlet and an opportunity to reconcile with their fans after their domestic struggles. They will build on their comeback from a deficit to secure a 2-1 victory over Spanish hosts Celta Vigo in the second round last Thursday, keeping them among the ten teams that started the Europa League group stage with an ideal record.

For their part, Rennes overturned a deficit to defeat Greek visitors OFI 2-1 last Thursday thanks to a late goal, thereby maintaining their unbeaten start in the Europa League (one win, one draw).

German striker Nico Werner, on loan from English club Newcastle United, has the chance to make Juventus history if he scores against Rennes. He would become the first player to score in each of his first three matches in the main phase of a major European competition in the 21st century.

German side Bayer Leverkusen, runners-up in the 2024 edition, look strong to secure their third consecutive victory when they visit OFI, a team making a comeback in German football after their 2-0 win over Hoffenheim in the first round. The two sides have met only once before, with Leverkusen winning 1-0 in the 1995 Intertoto Cup.

Leverkusen began their Europa League campaign with two consecutive wins and six goals scored without conceding, reinforcing their status as one of the top contenders for the title. Their European participation has not affected their domestic results; they enter this match coming from a seven-match unbeaten run across all competitions (six wins, one draw).

A historic night looms for English club Bournemouth as they host the Italian giant Milan, seven-time Champions League winners, at the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth awaits an unprecedented evening as the team begins to regain its balance.

Their 2-0 victory over Sunderland on Sunday was their first Premier League win under German coach Marco Rose (three draws, three defeats). They are now aiming to achieve three consecutive wins across all competitions for the first time since December 2024.

In contrast, Milan has started strongly under Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim (five wins, three draws, one defeat), maintaining their unbeaten record in the league thanks to a 3-2 victory over Atalanta on Sunday.

Amorim now hopes to secure his first win as a manager against Bournemouth, having previously failed to do so when managing Manchester United (two draws, one defeat), while maintaining his unbeaten away record in the group stage or league phase of the competition (four wins, two draws).