UEFA Europa League Group I, Matchday 6

 Atlético Madrid 3-1 Stade Rennais FC

Radamel Falcao gave the home side the lead from the penalty spot six minutes before half-time, and the game was as good as over when Álvaro Domínguez rose to head in a free-kick shortly after. Arda Turan fired in Atléti's third goal late on, although there was still time for Georges Mandjeck to head in a late consolation for the visitors.

Frédéric Antonetti's young side have never got going in Europe this season and they had already been eliminated from the Europa League in the wake of their goalless home draw with Udinese at the end of last month. This defeat, sealed by those two goals in the last six minutes of the opening period, confirmed that they would finish bottom of Group I without having won a game.

Sweeping changes

Antonetti made eight changes to his starting line-up, with Tongo Hamed Doumbia, Vincent Pajot and Georges Mandjeck the only men retained from the team that drew 1-1 with Breton rivals Brest at the weekend. Atletico, meanwhile, had already qualified for the last 32 and needed only a point to be certain of going through in first place. Their under-fire coach Gregorio Manzano also made several changes to his side, but the likes of Falcao, Brazilian playmaker Diego and Turkey international Turan were still in the starting 11.

In front of a sparse crowd in a ground that is exposed to the elements and freezing cold at this time of year, Rennes did start brightly enough and should have taken the lead on 16 minutes when a Yacine Brahimi free-kick from the left found Chris Mavinga at the back post, but his header from point-blank range came back off the crossbar.

Prolific Falcao

Instead Atlético got the breakthrough when Mandjeck brought down Adrián López in the area and the Icelandic referee awarded a penalty which Falcao scored, sending 'keeper Abdoulaye Diallo the wrong way from 12 yards to score his 20th goal in the Europa League.

At that point Rennes would have been hoping to sit tight until the interval but instead they fell further behind when defender Domínguez rose to head home from a free-kick delivered from deep on the right-hand side.

There was a reaction of sorts after the break, and Rennes almost got a goal back when a Dimitri Foulquier cross from the right was only partially cleared by the Atletico defence and Brahimi saw a well-struck volley turned behind by an alert Sergio Asenjo.

But Atlético went on to make it three with 11 minutes to go when an Onyekachi Apam error allowed Turan in to fire home. Mandjeck did head home towards the end, but that was scant consolation for the Ligue 1 club, who will now fly direct from the Spanish capital to Corsica, where they will face Ajaccio on Sunday looking to kickstart their bid to return to Europe next season.

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