Ruben Loftus-Cheek scores two goals as the home team comfortably secures a win in the UEFA Europa League.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was the hero for AC Milan as he scored a brace to give his team a commanding lead in the UEFA Europa League round-of-16 playoff first leg against Stade Rennais FC. The English midfielder’s goals, along with a clinical strike from Rafael Leao, left Rennes with a daunting task in the return leg next week.

From the start of the match, Milan showed their dominance over Rennes, with Leao, Tijjani Reijnders, and Yunus Musah all coming close to finding the back of the net. However, it was Loftus-Cheek who broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark, scoring two confident headers to take his tally to six goals in eight games against Rennes.

Rafael Leao then added insult to injury for Rennes with a clinical third goal, effectively ending any hopes of a comeback for the French side. Despite a late goal from Rennes substitute Amine Gouiri, it was clear that Milan had completely outmatched their opponents.

Milan manager Stefano Pioli made the decision to rest some of his star players, as his team is currently just one point behind second-placed Juventus in Serie A. This meant that Milan could have potentially extended their lead even further, highlighting the strength and depth of their squad.

Rennes will now have to produce a miraculous performance in the second leg if they are to have any chance of progressing to the next round of the Europa League. With a three-goal deficit to overcome, it will require a monumental effort from the French side to turn the tie around.

Overall, it was a dominant display from AC Milan, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek stealing the show with his two well-taken goals. The English midfielder’s purple patch continues, and he will be hoping to carry this form into the next round of the competition.