Juve needed a good performance following Sunday’s humiliating 3-0 home defeat by Lazio in Serie A, and they made the perfect start. Woltemade caressed a fifth-minute through ball in behind for the onrushing Zeki Celik, who steered home his second UEL goal of the season.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Rennes hit back 10 minutes later when Musa Al-Taamari met Bryan Reynolds’ header across the six-yard box with a neat finish to score his first goal of the campaign.
Brice Samba made two brilliant saves to stop the Bianconeri regaining their lead, first tipping Federico Gatti’s close-range header around the post and then getting down sharply to deny Weston McKennie.
However, Rennes remained dangerous, and they were awarded a penalty late in the half when Mahamadou Nagida’s fierce strike hit the arm of Douglas Luiz. With top scorer Esteban Lepaul out through injury, Boulaye Dia stepped up and sent Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way to mark his first UEL start for the club with his third goal of the season.
Juve left the pitch to boos at half-time, and they did not immediately improve after the break, with Al-Taamari forcing Vicario into a save after slaloming through the hosts’ defence.
However, the hosts were handed a lifeline midway through the half when substitute Nicolas Gonzalez’s header struck Reynolds’ arm in the box, and Woltemade calmly stroked the penalty down the middle.
The equaliser transformed the mood of the home fans, and Woltemade was denied another goal by Charlie Cresswell’s block at point-blank range, before the German striker flashed a header wide.
Jhon Lucumi saw a goal disallowed for offside two minutes from time, as Juve failed to find a winner to ease the pressure mounting on manager Luciano Spalletti, although they did at least preserve their unbeaten start to the league phase (W2, D1).
Rennes are also yet to lose (W1, D2), with this being the first time they have avoided defeat on a European trip to Italy (D1, L4), although they are now winless in four away matches in all competitions (D2, L2).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes)