AC Milan 3-0 Stade Rennais – Ruben Loftus-Cheek nets double as hosts cruise to UEFA Europa League victory

Ruben Loftus-Cheek gave AC Milan one foot in the UEFA Europa League round-of-16 with a well-taken brace before Rafael Leao heaped more misery on Rennes, who have a three-goal mountain to climb in the return leg next week.

Milan looked a handful for Rennes right from the opening stages of the game with Leao, Tijjani Reijnders and Yunus Musah going close to scoring before Loftus-Cheek broke the dam just after the half-hour mark.

He hit his fifth and sixth goals in eight games against Rennes, both coming from confident headers that reflect his purple patch before Leao all but ended the tie with a clinical third.

Rennes substitute striker Amine Gouiri did bring some life to the French side with 20 minutes to go and may well have played himself into the starting 11 for the home leg, but they’ll need much more than that after being completely outmatched by Milan.

It could have been even more than a three-goal deficit too, had Stefano Pioli not opted to rest some of his star players with Milan sat eight points behind leaders Inter in Serie A.

They face Monza next Sunday before welcoming fourth-placed Atalanta a week later, but could be able to better prepare for that game if Pioli can rotate his squad in the return leg against Rennes. And he received a further boost as the San Siro welcomed back Malick Thiaw from the substitute’s bench after missing two months with a hamstring injury to help ease Milan’s defensive injury crisis.

Rennes were only forced into the Europa League play-off round thanks to an injury-time winner against Villarreal being (correctly) disallowed by an obscure free-kick rule, and turned up in Milan like they still thought they didn’t have to be there.

The hosts enjoyed over 90% possession in the opening exchanges with Rennes seemingly looking to absorb pressure and play on the counter-attack with the likes of Martin Terrier and Guela Doue.

Initially that strategy was successful, with Milan failing to really break open the defence and often resorting to longer-range efforts, but Loftus-Cheek’s goal changed everything.

Though Rennes ended the first-half on the front foot, that gave the hosts a look at how to break them down after half-time and Loftus-Cheek’s second goal moments after kick-off looked set to settle the encounter.

However, Leao’s goal was the final nail in the coffin. He’s an attacker that often looks to assist a team-mate rather than score himself and sometimes prefer a half-chance that he can attack on instinct to a clear-cut opportunity that leaves him too long to think.

He certainly made the most of this one though, with a superb first-time finish back past Steve Mandanda securing victory at least on the night.

Is it too late to force his way into Gareth Southgate’s summer plans? It can’t be out of the question with the run of form Loftus-Cheek is on, and with four British sides waiting in the last 16 of the Europa League he may well get the opportunity to prove himself on home soil.

None of Loftus-Cheek’s goals showed outrageous skill but that made them no less impressive, rather it was his desire to reach the ball with his head and send it goalwards – particularly the second – that comes with a goal record such as his in 2024.

He was simply hungrier than the Rennes defenders, and rightly earned him a standing ovation at full-time.

AC Milan: Maignan 7, Florenzi 8, Kjaer 7, Gabbia 6, Hernandez 7, Musah 7, Reijnders 8, Pulisic 8, Loftus-Cheek 9, Leao 8, Giroud 6. Subs: Bennacer 7, Adli 6, Okafor 7, Thiaw 6, Terracciano 6.

Rennes: Mandanda 6, G Doue 7, Omari 5, Theate 5, Truffert 6, Bourigeaud 4, Matusiwa 5, Santamaria 6, D Doue 4, Kalimuendo 5, Terrier 5. Subs: Gouiri 7, Blas 6, Salah 6, Seidu 6, Nagida 5.

6’ – FIRST CHANCE: Rafael Leao has taken the first shot of the game, but a crucial deflection by Omari sent it up onto the crossbar and out for a corner.

32’ – GOAL! AC MILAN 1-0 RENNES (LOFTUS-CHEEK): It’s a deserved lead for AC Milan! Alessandro Florenzi swung a teasing cross in and Ruben Loftus-Cheek attacked it with purpose, sending his header arrowing into the bottom corner!

47’ – GOAL! AC MILAN 2-0 RENNES (LOFTUS-CHEEK): He’s doubled the lead! Milan may already have one foot in the Europa League round of 16, Kjaer flicked the corner on to force a superb reaction save from Steve Mandanda, but Loftus-Cheek got there first with a superb diving header.

53’ – GOAL! AC MILAN 3-0 RENNES (LEAO): Is it still only one foot in the round of 16? Leao may have just iced the tie, he’s a superb player that only misses goals from his game but he’s snagged one there, netting a pulled-back cross clinically.

58’ – COULD’VE BEEN 4: The corner nearly yielded another goal! Rennes couldn’t clear the corner as Mandanda flapped at the ball and it dropped to Leao, but it was an awkward height and he couldn’t turn it goalwards with any power.

• Rennes have never beaten an Italian side away from home, and that trend continues.
• Olivier Giroud missed the chance to become the fourth-oldest goalscorer in the Europa League knockout stages.