Antonetti: Rennes will compete

Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti has rejected suggestions his side have nothing to play for against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.

The Ligue 1 side have already been eliminated from Group I of the Europa League and will face an Atletico side needing just a point to the top the group.

But Antonetti wants his side to win their first Europa League match of the season to boost a league campaign that sees them sit fifth.

“We’ve already been eliminated from this competition but it’s still a very prestigious match for us,” Antonetti said.

“This match will let some players show their skills and it will also help us prepare ourselves for future matches.”

The Rennes boss is also well aware of how difficult it will be to win in Spain.

“Atletico Madrid is the best team in the group,” Antonetti said.

“It’s a very technical team and it has a lot of players that possess a lot of quality, such as Falcao, so tomorrow we will have a very tough match against them.”