AC Milan vs Rennes

AC Milan’s bid to conquer the Europa League for the first time pits them against Rennes in a tasty-looking knockout playoff tie, with the first leg taking place at Stadio San Siro.

Milan failed to make it out of the so-called ‘group of death’ in this season’s Champions League. However, a 2-1 comeback win against Newcastle United on Matchday 6 extended their continental journey to the Europa League playoff round. Since this is the only missing piece of silverware from their burgeoning trophy cabinet, ‘I Rossoneri’ won’t take this competition lightly, especially amidst a faltering pursuit of a second Serie A title in three years. Stranded eight points adrift of leaders Inter Milan, Stefano Pioli’s side can at least draw confidence from piecing together an impressive nine-game unbeaten league streak (W7, D2), bookended by a gutsy 1-0 home win against defending champions Napoli last weekend. That victory stretched Milan’s eye-catching scoring run to 18 matches in all competitions, suggesting they should get on the scoresheet with relative ease.

In the meantime, visiting Rennes will not roll over despite their hosts’ formidable stature in European football, especially after completing an outstanding eight-game winning streak with a narrow 1-0 triumph at Le Havre last weekend. Julien Stephan’s men managed their first clean sheet in five competitive games, bolstering their hopes of defying the club’s disastrous all-time record on Italian soil. Indeed, ‘Les Rennais’ have lost all three previous away encounters against Serie A sides, conceding 2+ goals on each occasion. But a five-game winning run on the road tells a different story, buoyed by an equally telling tally of 15 goals scored in that sequence. That doesn’t mean they can take anything for granted, especially as two of those five wins came against second-tier opposition.