AC Milan are looking to end their misfortunes when they face Rennes FC for the leg 1 of their Round-of-16 meeting in the Europa League. Milan and Rennes are facing each other for the first time in a competitive fixture. However, Milan had an unfortunate journey in the Champions League, which is why they dropped at the Europa League. Fortunately for Milan, they are with good momentum coming into this match, as they are unbeaten in their last five games. Meanwhile, Rennes finished at the second of their group stage, earning 12 points. It is just unfortunate that Rennes did not finish their group stage with a win, failing to have a momentum. The meeting between these two teams is on February 16, 2024, at 4:00 AM (GMT+8).
AC Milan
Milan failed to progress from the ‘Group of Death’ due to their Champions League opponents, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, and Newcastle United. They finished third, behind Dortmund and PSG, and are now in the Europa League, where they must overcome a two-legged tie to reach the last 16. Milan has found some fluency in the final third and has a clinical edge, with only RB Salzburg scoring fewer goals than Milan’s five in the Champions League group stage. Milan’s fourth win from five games came in a tussle between the last two Serie A champions, Napoli, and Inter Milan. Milan has scored 20 times in eight matches this year, but they are yet to master the Europa League, where they have never won. The hosts, Milan, have a five-game unbeaten run and have defeated reigning champions Napoli 1-0 in Serie A.
Milan’s defensive struggles continued with captain Davide Calabria withdrawn due to an adductor problem. Pierre Kalulu and Fikayo Tomori remain unavailable, but Malick Thiaw returns after a hamstring injury. Stefano Pioli could replace Tijjani Reijnders, who is still injured. Olivier Giroud could become the fourth-oldest player to score in the Europa League’s elimination phase.
Rennes FC
Rennes, a team that has not won continental silverware since the 2008 Intertoto Cup, will face Les Rouge et Noirs in Italy. They won seven games since the New Year and last lost anywhere in their final Europa League group fixture two months ago. They have beaten Nice, Lyon, Montpellier, and Le Havre. Julien Stephan’s arrival as head coach has helped the Breton club move within four points of fifth-placed Lille. Rennes has won 10 of 14 games in charge and is now resuming their Europa League campaign. They finished second to Villarreal in Group F, but have back-to-back victories on their travels, aiming for three successive away wins in Europe. However, they have been beaten on all three previous visits to Italy.
Rennes top scorer Benjamin Bourigeaud supports Martin Terrier and Arnaud Kalimuendo in attack. Meanwhile, recent signings Matusiwa and Seidu may be involved. Julien Stephan is absentee.
Prediction:
AC Milan (1.0)
Odds: -0.81
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