Ruben Loftus-Cheek showcased his prowess with two well-timed headers, and Rafael Leao added a third, securing a resounding 3-0 home victory for AC Milan over French side Stade Rennais in the opening leg of their Europa League playoff encounter on Thursday.
Despite Milan dropping into the Europa League after a third-place finish in their Champions League group, their commanding performance might have resulted in an even more decisive win if not for Stade Rennais’ desperate defensive efforts. Nevertheless, Milan carries a substantial lead into the second leg next week.
In a surprising turn of events, Azerbaijan’s Qarabag secured a thrilling 4-2 triumph against Sporting Braga in Portugal, positioning themselves favorably for advancement to the round of 16.
In other late kickoff games, veteran Argentine forward Angel di Maria converted two penalties, propelling Benfica to a narrow 2-1 victory over French strugglers Toulouse.
Meanwhile, the home clash between Racing Lens and Germany’s Freiburg ended in a goalless draw.
Loftus-Cheek’s first goal came in the 32nd minute when he skillfully directed Alessandro Florenzi’s cross into the net. Just two minutes into the second half, he displayed quick reflexes with a diving header after Stade Rennais’ goalkeeper, Steve Mandanda, parried away a shot.
Leao further solidified Milan’s dominance with a skillful one-two with Theo Hernandez, sealing the 3-0 scoreline in the 52nd minute at San Siro.
In Braga, Qarabag took advantage of a penalty opportunity in the 21st minute, converted by Marko Jankovic, after Victor Gomez fouled Elvin Jafarguliyev.
Simon Banza leveled the score for Braga before VAR checks confirmed Abdellah Zoubir’s onside position after a deflected free kick, allowing Qarabag to regain the lead.
Juninho and Zoubir added two more goals, securing a 4-2 victory for Qarabag. Joao Moutinho’s stoppage-time penalty provided Braga with a consolation goal, but the odds are against them in the upcoming clash in Baku.
Benfica faced a challenge against Toulouse as Di Maria scored two penalties, securing a 2-1 lead after Mikkel Desler equalized with a volley.
Christian Mawissa’s studs-up challenge resulted in another penalty for Benfica, and Di Maria sealed the win with his third goal from the spot in stoppage time.
In earlier fixtures on Thursday, Sporting Lisbon won 3-1 against Young Boys Berne, and Mauro Icardi’s stoppage-time winner secured a 3-2 victory for Galatasaray against Sparta Prague in Istanbul.
Shakhtar Donetsk managed a 2-2 draw with Olympique de Marseille in neutral Hamburg, while AS Roma held the Dutch champions Feyenoord to a 1-1 draw in Rotterdam, making them favorites in the return leg.