The Rosseneri maintained their winning run as they claimed an emphatic win in their Europa League knockout tie opener. AC Milan dropped to the Europa League after finishing third in Champions League group stage.
AC Milan put themselves in a very commanding position in their Europa League play-off round tie against Stade Rennais by beating them 3-0 in the first leg at the Stadio Guiseppe Mazzia.
A brace courtesy of Rueben Loftus- Cheek who continued his prolific scoring form, 4 goals in his last 4 games
The Englishman has been finding his grove lately and it has been rewarded with an important win in a European campaign. Loftus- Cheek opened the scoring with a composed header breaking the deadlock after 32 minutes played. The second half saw Milan get off to a quick start as they looked to double the lead instantly, with Loftus- cheek netting in his second goal of the match. Rafael Leoa finally got his name on the score sheet as he fired in a classy strike to ensure the win for the Rosseneri. The Portuguese forward registered his 50th goal for AC Milan, a special night for the 23-year-old.
This win puts the Rosseneri in a comfortable position as they are one foot in the next round. However, this game was not completely one-sided contrary to the scorecard. Rennes created several attacking opportunities and posed Milan problems throughout the course of the match. Their inability to convert their chances is the reason this match went in Milan’s favour. Maximum effort and concentration will be necessary if the French club are going to overturn this deficit. The hosts got off to a frantic start but managed to utilise their attacking weapons, with an early chance from Rafael Leao in the early stages of the match almost put Milan in front.
He would eventually find his luck with a wonderful one-two touch with Theo Hernandez in the 52- minute followed up by a superb strike to secure the win at the San Siro. Rueben Lofus- Cheek who deserved huge admiration for his stellar performance in the advanced midfield role, displayed his excellence and continued his resurgent form in the Rosseneri colours.
Creating a few chances in the first half, providing a goal scoring opportunity for Olivier Giroud. Stefano Pioli who has been under the limelight the past few weeks, made notable changes to his lineup which beat Napoli last Sunday. The additions such as Alessandro Florennzi came in for Davide Calabria and a double alteration in the midfield with the return of the American, Yunus Musah and Tijani Rejinders who replaced Ismael Bennacer and Yacine Adli.
After the game Pioli stated in his post match press conference: “They write that we only have a 5% chance to win Europa League. They’ve put Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, Brighton, and Benfica. I’ll use this to motivate my players”.
Next up for Milan is an away clash with A.C Monza on Sunday. The Rosseneri will look to make four wins on the trout, a win on Sunday could see them leapfrog over Juventus in second place.
