Europa League roundup: AC Milan in cruise control after thumping victory over Rennes
Fresh off the back of a weekend win over Italian champions Napoli, Milan carried that confidence into this one and had their French visitors under the cosh early.
Rafael Leão has been the subject of recent transfer rumours linking him with a summer move away from the San Siro, but he did not look a player distracted as he took down a diagonal ball on his chest and cut onto his right foot. His effort from the edge of the box took a nick off a Rennes defender and clipped the crossbar on its way over.
Stefano Pioli’s men continued to dominate possession and were carving out half-chances, but they were nearly stung against the run of play by Benjamin Bourigeaud, whose snapshot from the edge of the box went just wide.
After surviving that scare, the deadlock was broken on the half-hour mark as Alessandro Florenzi picked out the unmarked Ruben Loftus-Cheek with a delicious cross from the right, and the Englishman leapt to glance a header into the far corner via the inside of the post.
Julien Stéphan’s Rennes came into this on an eight-match winning run in all competitions, but they were outdone again by Loftus-Cheek just after the break. He was the first to react when Steve Mandanda made a wonderful save from Simon Kjær’s header, diving through a crowd of bodies to nod into the empty net on 48 minutes.
It was his second brace in less than a month having also been at the double against Bologna on 27th January.
Milan were purring, and a third goal was just around the corner. Leão set Theo Hernandez away with a silky backheel and then raced into the box to meet his captain’s cutback, which he side-footed into the far corner past the helpless Mandanda.
Rennes offered little in response with Mike Maignan easily equal to Amine Gouiri’s effort on 70 minutes, while Milan sub Noah Okafor had an effort cleared off the line after Mandanda had denied Christian Pulisic. But a comfortable defeat leaves Rennes with a mountain to climb in next week’s return leg, as the Rossoneri are in firm control as they head to northwest France.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Ruben Loftus-Cheek (AC Milan)
See a summary of the match here