After a 3-0 lead in the San Siro, a loss in the rematch had little bearing on the outcome
"Milan" must be vigilant; despite the deteriorating fortunes on their way to the Europa League quarterfinals, nothing can be taken for granted, particularly in the aftermath of Monza. Conversely, Rennes must replicate AC Milan's 3-0 victory at the San Siro last week in order to advance to the 1/8 finals playoffs. With Calimuendo and Terrier up front—Terrier has been outstanding in Ligue 1 so far—Stephane goes with his conventional 4-4-2 system, with Bourijo watched from midfield and Theate starting at right defense. At Rojajon Park, Pioli deploys a 4-3-3 formation; in contrast to the Serie A encounter, Leao and Pulisic are back on the pitch from the opening whistle, and Jovic starts up front for a midfield three consisting of Musah, Reynders, and Bennacer. Instead of Thiaw, Kjaer shows up in the rear. Giroud and Loftus-Cheek take their places on the bench. It was all due to the Portuguese leader João Pinheiro's directives.
Milan controls the whole first half!
The French faith in a kambak has been on full display in Rojajon Park's performance in this rematch of the playoffs. Mandanda catches Leao off guard as he launches into the lane for the match's opening lunge. The Portuguese are eager to get back into the game as soon as possible in an effort to avoid any more issues after Monza. Upon gaining possession, "Rennes" proceeds to launch an aggressive assault on the two forwards and strikers who have occupied the same defensive line. Taking advantage of Leao's speed, AC Milan restart play whenever they have the opportunity, but Rennes' defense is holding their own despite having a lot of room to work with. Theate makes a pinpoint diagonal pass to shut down Leao and prevent what would have been an almost certain goal as he steals the ball from Omari and flies goalward. By the eighth minute, the intensity level has remained high, and Rennes have been relentless in their attacks on Milan's goal. Burigo scored for Rennes in the eleventh minute. If you're looking for up-to-date sports news and information, go no further than the Livescore website, next match. The French midfielder takes the ball on the wing, manipulates it, and then shoots with his right foot, dribbling it past Menyan and over the crossbar. A goal that raises the volume of Rojajon Parc and, more importantly, Rennes' aspirations; in any event, they need to score two more goals to send the match into overtime.
A triumph despite Pulisic's less-than-stellar performance
Pulisic messed up big time! At 16 minutes, the left-winger Theo Eranand sends a fine cross-field pass that the American catches low and attempts to strike first, but he is unable to reach the ball in time; as a result, the ball remains in play and finds its intended target. before launching into a defensive block. Additionally, Bennacer makes an appearance on the right side of the field, halfway to the short side of the penalty area. He then passes a player, enters the box, switches to his left foot to fire, but Teate blocks his shot. Luka Jovic checks out the scoring! At the 22nd minute of the first half, Milan's maneuvering game finally pays off. Reynders gets the ball at his feet, cuts inside three quarters of the opponent, and sets up Theo on the left. Theo passes the ball to Jovic, who heads it in for the score. This is a crucial goal for Milan, who behind by three goals in the match (1-4). In the 26th minute, Rennes were awarded a penalty kick just outside the penalty area. The ball was headed towards Burigo, Omari, and Santamaria, who were all considered dangerous, but Santamaria tried to score, but Menyon was able to foil their efforts.
Milan wins despite taking a major risk
Once again, Milan faces a massive threat! Following Burigo's free kick, there is a side foul. The ball is played into play and is accessible to Calimuendo. He swiftly turns with his right hand to receive the ball, which eventually falls on Menyã. Despite his hustle, he is able to gather it. Rann is visible in Menjana's area throughout this crucial stretch of the first half, but Milan's defense is strong and they do not let themselves be exposed. In this half, Pioli's squad controls the pace of the game by bringing the ball closer to the middle of the field and slowing it down. "Milan" takes the lead at halftime thanks to a Pulisic shot that goes wide of the goal but misses Jovic's head; Leao makes a smart comeback and gives the ball away. The result went into halftime at 1-1 after a penalty minute, meaning the Rossoneri would enter qualifying with a 4-1 aggregate score.
