Halfway through their double confrontation against AC Milan, we have to be really imaginative this Thursday evening to envisage an outcome other than an elimination of Stade Rennais in the Europa League play-offs. With a handicap of three goals to overcome, the mission looks impossible in a week at Roazhon Park, and like last year when it was knocked out at the same stage of the competition by Chakthior Donetsk, the Breton club may regret for not having been able to do what was necessary during the group stage to avoid a barrage which, barring a miracle, should once again be fatal.
In a San Siro where between 8,000 and 10,000 Rennes supporters were seated, the step proved far too high for Julien Stéphan’s players, punished by Ruben Loftus-Cheek (32nd) for one of their rare defensive oversights in first period, stunned at the start of the second by two goals in quick succession scored by Loftus-Cheek, again (47th), and Rafael Leao (53rd).
A timid revolt in the last twenty minutes
The Breton revolt intervened when there was already little to hope for: having just entered the game, Amine Gouiri took his chance three times (70th, 71st, 79th), Baptiste Santamaria came up against Mike Maignan (71st) but Rennes also exposed itself to an even greater sinking on an action which forced Steve Mandanda to intervene in front of Christian Pulisic before a rescue from Azor Matusiwa (73rd) on a recovery from Noah Okafor.
At 0-0, Rennes had already been saved by the amount of Mandanda on a strike from Leao (7th) but he had also created an opportunity to open the scoring on one of his rare forays into the Milanese camp: a shot from Benjamin Bourigeaud just wide (24th). The worst was to come…
