Milan on velvet: 3-0 at Rennes and qualification on ice

Everything was easy for Milan at San Siro against Rennes in the first leg of the Europa League playoff. The Rossoneri won 3-0, a score that puts Pioli’s boys on the safe side ahead of the return to France in a week’s time. For the hosts Loftus-Cheek scoresscoring with a brace in the 32nd and 47th minute and Leao in the 53rd minute.

Milan, everything easy: Rennes immediately goes down

The home team starts with their foot pressed on the accelerator and comes close to scoring in the 7th minute: a great throw that cuts diagonally across the field catches Leao perfectly, who is very good at taming it with the chest and then unloading it into the goal, slightly deflected shot which hits the crossbar. A minute passes and Reijnders tries from outside, with Leao who passes the ball back to him: a high ball.

In the 11th minute Loftus-Cheek reaches the back line on the right and puts it in the centre, at the near post, Musah intervenes but the deflection ends up wide. Rennes’ first chance arrives in the 24th minute. Kalimuendo works the ball well on the right, which is then passed to Bourigeaud on the edge of the area. Oriented control and immediately placed ball opening the right plate which slides out slightly.

In the 29th minute Leao swings to the left and then, upon entering the area, he passes the ball, opening his right-footed shot towards the far post, where Loftus-Cheek arrives a little late. Appointment with the goal postponed for three minutes for the former Chelsea player who unlocks the match in the 32nd minute. With a nice combination on the right, Milan frees Florenzi from the midfield with a cross. Ball cut very well in the heart of the area, Loftus-Cheek doesn’t even have to jump and heads it with precision, sending it into the corner.

In the 36th minute, a nice personal descent by Pulisic, who starts from his own area on the right, reaches the edge of the opponent’s area, centralizes and then gives in to Giroud, who from the edge looks for a low shot with his left but the conclusion is weak and easy prey for the opposing goalkeeper. In the 39th minute Doué starts from the left carrying the ballfocuses and then finishes on goal, Maignan saves without any particular problems.

At the start of the second half in the 2nd minute Rossoneri double again by Loftus-Cheek. From the corner, Kjaer heads it towards goal, Mandanda blocks with a great reflex but on the rebound the English midfielder pounces with a diving header to make it 2-0.

Milan scores a hat trick

In the 8th minute, Milan scored a hat-trick: Theo Hernandez stole the ball early on the left and passed it in the area to Leao who back-heeled it back to his teammate. He pulls the ball back to Leao, who places a flat right foot into the net. At 11′ the Rossoneri are still on the attack, Leao inside with a precise vertical touch for Pulisic, who finishes first: Mandanda rejects.
At the quarter of an hour Leao asks for a substitution.

It doesn’t seem like a serious problem, maybe just mild fatigue. In his place Okafor. Pioli also inserts Thiaw for Kjaer. In the 26th minute Maignan twice starred in the space of a few seconds, first rejecting Gouiri’s shot and then Santamaria’s.

In the 28th minute the Rossoneri devoured the fourth goal. Pulisic goes alone in the central corridor and finishes in front of Mandanda who blocks: ball on the foot of Okafor who first shoots with confidence and finds the rebound this time by a defenderalmost on the goal line.

Shortly after the half hour two more changes for Milan and three for Rennes: Bennacer for Loftus Cheek and standing ovation for the Englishman, Terracciano for Florenzi, Blas for Matusiwa, Nagida for Doué, Salah for Truffert.

In the 36th minute Pioli finishes the substitutions by putting Adli in place of Pulisic. In the 40th minute, great action by Musah, who jumps everyone with strength and speed, then looks for a cross to the center, rejected by the Rennes defense. A minute later Theo Hernandez is dangerous with a powerful shot following the rebound from the French defense: high ball.

In the 44th minute, chance for Bennacer on a free kick from the edge of the area: the ball goes over the barrier but ends up just over. The match ends without further excitement after 4 minutes of injury time.