Despite good intentions, Rennes was unable to do anything against AC Milan in this Europa League play-off (0-3) and will have to achieve a feat on the return leg to hope to continue in the competition.
11:30 p.m. – Good night
Thank you everyone for accompanying us to follow this Europa League play-off between AC Milan and Rennais Stadium. See you in a week for the return match.
23:25 – Two heads below, the match summary
It is often said that matches at this level are also played in the head and AC Milan recalled that they are also won in the head. It only took two from Loftus-Cheek, whose physical impact was felt in the offensive phase, for the Milanese club to make the difference and offer themselves ample success in the first leg of the Europa League play-off, clearing the horizon towards the round of 16. Two headers which crushed Rennais, yet up to the occasion after a slightly sluggish start which could have cost them dearly if Leao had not found the crossbar following a sequence of control oriented from the chest and volley.
Because the Breton players posed problems through their placement for the Milanese who were never as comfortable as when the spaces open up to express their percussion. On his right side, Guéla Doué delivered a fierce duel to the Portuguese star of the Rossoneri, forcing him to defend in sequence, a shame. Then all it takes is one oversight for everything to change. On the left, Pulisic attracted Truffert who freed the corridor. Reijnders shifted Florenzi. Alone, the Italian full-back applied himself to curl in a cross that Loftus-Cheek cut at the near post. His uncrossed header was perfectly executed and after a rebound he leaned on the post to finish his race in the net.
Rennes did not seem to be affected by this first goal and managed to reach the break without further difficulty. The return to the pitch marked a shift and in the space of five minutes, the Breton ship took on water. On a corner from Hernandez, Kjaer deflected with a header. On his line, Mandanda pushed back as best he could but the ball landed on Lotus-Cheek. Quicker than Theate, he headed into the goal to score a double. Barely time to recover, the Rennais saw the duo Theo Hernandez-Leao get into action. During the maneuver, the Portuguese followed closely behind his French captain. The latter instinctively put him back and rightly, he took it upon himself to add to the bill. There were still 40 minutes left and this time, the Rennes heads bowed, as if struck by the gap that had just widened. Not necessarily brilliant, AC Milan knew how to press when necessary to take cover.
It took a few minutes for the Bretons to regain their senses and attempt a reaction. The entry of Gouiri brought pep and spontaneity but neither he nor Santamaria from afar could worry Maignan and score this goal which beyond saving the honor, could have restored a semblance of hope for the match back. A year after the regrets of the elimination against Shakhtar Donetsk, Rennes came across an opponent of another caliber and was able to measure the gap which separated them. It remains to entertain the idea of a miracle in a week in Brittany and there again, it is in the head that it will play out.
23:05 – Bourigeaud’s reaction
“In the first half, we were in great shape I think. We managed to put them in difficulty on some of our counterattacks. In the second half, we came back with the same intentions, trying to stay serious. We conceded a goal quite quickly and after this set piece which hurt us, they accelerated. We ran a lot this evening and we lacked lucidity”, explained Benjamin Bourigeaud at the microphone of RMC Sport 1 after the meeting. The Rennes community, however, refuses to give up. “This is only the first round. We will continue to believe in it for next week. We remain ambitious”he added.
22:54 – Rennes bows heavily (0-3)
Despite a decent match in the opening round, Rennes jeopardized their chances of qualifying at San Siro. Surprised by one of their rare placement errors at the half-hour mark, the Bretons collapsed upon returning from the locker room, giving in twice in the space of five minutes, failing to react to score a goal synonymous with hope for the future. Behind, AC Milan controlled and could even have added to the score but Mandanda and Matusiwa avoided the worst. In a week, the challenge promises to be delicate to say the least for Rennes, forced to perform to reach the knockout stages of the Europa League.
22:53 – Blas sur Maignan
In the duel with Thiaw in the area on the left, Blas breaks away and at the end of the race takes a too-timid cross that Maignan catches without difficulty. at the same time, Nagida is lifted up by the Rennes trainers and leaves the pitch.
22:52 – Good catch from Mandanda
Okafor sees Bourigeaud in difficulty on the right and sends a cross towards his partner in the duel with the Breton. Mandanda jumps and spreads his arms to catch the ball.
22:50 – Rennes at ten
Nagida is injured and has gone out of bounds. The Rennais will finish the last minutes at 10.
22:48 – Additional time: 4 minutes
There will be four minutes of added time in this second half between AC Milan and Stade Rennais.
22:47 – Bennacer hits the top corner
20 meters in the center, Bennacer curls from the left above the wall and his ball falls just behind the crossbar of a beaten Mandanda.
22:45 – Reijnders hooked, Nagida takes a yellow
Santamaria misses his pass from 25 meters and Reijnders drives a lightning counter. The Dutchman takes advantage of calls from two partners to push to the entrance to the Rennes area where he is hooked by Nagida. The Rennes side is logically warned for his fault.
22:44 – Half a volley over
Bennacer’s dive ball hits a Rennes player and returns to the feet of Hernandez who takes it back without control in a half-volley. His left attempt flies away.
22:42 – Musah bypasses
Musah escapes the pressure of two opponents and pretends to shift to the right to take the ball in front of him and tear apart the Rennes defense. The Milan midfielder, at the end of the race, curls a cross on the other side towards Giroud but Omari intervenes with a header.
22:41 – Too strong for Salah
In the middle at 25 meters, Gouiri looks for Salah in a pivotal position but his pass is too strong for his partner who cannot control the ball.
22:40 – Adli enters
Last change for AC Milan with the exit of Pulisic in the 80th minute and the entry of Adli.
22:39 – Santamaria from afar
From about twenty meters away, Santamaria fired a floating shot which skimmed the crossbar without diving towards the goal where Maignan was on the lookout.
22:38 – Gouiri at the far post
On the right side, Blas curls an excellent cross to the opposite side in the area. At point blank range, Gouiri headed behind Thiaw, who misjudged the trajectory. The former Nice player misses the target and especially takes the ball away from Salah who was coming forward and seemed better positioned.
22:37 – Gouiri gets stuck
On the right of the area, Gouiri slips between two opponents and enters the zone of truth. Pushing his ball too far, he wants to avoid Thiaw and play behind Santamaria but his ball is intercepted.
22:33 – Wave of changes
A quarter of an hour from the end of regulation time, the two technicians embark on a series of changes. Pioli sends Bennacer and Terracciano onto the pitch to take over from Loftus-Cheek and Florenzi. On the Stéphan side, Désiré Doué, Matusiwa and Truffert leave the field in favor of Blas, Salah and Nagida.
22:31 – Rennes close to breaking up
Huge double opportunity in favor of AC Milan. Shifted into the area on the right, Pulisic hits hard on Mandanda. The former French international pushes back in the middle on Okafor whose recovery is blocked by Matusiwa, who has retreated to protect his goal.
22:30 – Pulisic countered
Milan proceeds with rapid action like this ball given quickly in front on the right to Pulisic. With oriented control, he refocuses, bypasses a defender and strikes with the left but at Omari.
22:28 – Gouiri’s spontaneity
Seidu intercepts a Milan restart and gives it to the right of the area to Bourigeaud who finds Gouiri. The former Nice player turns around and delivers a cross shot with the left that misses.
22:27 – Thiaw deflects for a corner
On the left of the area, Doué curls a good cross from the right to around 6 meters. Terrier passes in front of Gabbia but Thiaw jumps in front of him and takes the ball from him which he extends for a corner.
22:26 – Double change for Rennes
In the 66th minute, Stéphan brought new blood to his team with the arrivals of Gouiri and Seidu, in place of Kalimuendo and Guéla Doué.
22:22 – Rennes blunt
Mandanda struggles to find the right solution to restart and returns the ball to Pulisic. The American is quickly surrounded by two opponents and gives possession back to Santamria. The Rennes midfielder also lacks options. We feel that the Rennais are in more difficulty on a physical level.
22:21 – Double change for AC Milan
In the 61st minute, Pioli made a double change with the departures of Leao and Kjaer, replaced by Okafor and Thiaw.