Will there already be a wild back and forth at the San Siro?

Instead of competing with another club in the UEFA Champions League for a place in the quarter-finals, AC Milan will have to fight for a ticket to the round of 16 in the Europa League. As one of the most prestigious clubs still represented in the second most important competition at European level, coach Stefano Pioli’s team will logically be the favorites for the first leg of the play-off on Thursday evening.

The first knockout stage opponent from the Breton capital Rennes is certainly a tough one and will travel to Lombardy with plenty of momentum. Under new coach Julien Stéphan, Les Rouges et Noirs have stabilized considerably of late and achieved some remarkable results. A confident visiting team from western France can therefore be expected at the San Siro. However, as the odds on the three-way market are clearly in favor of the Rossoneri, the value question should be asked when betting on a home win between AC Milan and Rennes

An alternative approach could be to force an over-goals prediction ahead of the AC Milan v Rennes game. Both teams’ offenses have worked pretty well recently. In addition, it is in the French side’s DNA to keep control of the match and dominate possession. This in turn could lead to some good transitional situations for Milan, who have enough speed at their disposal to use them effectively. Although the characteristics of a first leg often suggest a rather wait-and-see approach, a match with three or more goals seems absolutely conceivable

AC Milan – statistics & current form

In principle, AC Milan is a club that defines itself not only by its success at national level, but also by its performance in the top flight. Those responsible at the Rossoneri will therefore not be entirely satisfied with their season so far, as the Italians have fallen short of their own expectations, especially in the Champions League. Coach Pioli’s team only finished third behind BVB and Paris St. Germain and were relegated to the Europa League. However, the international season is set to be extended by a few more matches and months.

According to the odds, AC Milan is the favorite against Rennes ahead of the first leg of the intermediate round. For a home win on the three-way market, Betano is offering 1.72 at the top. The implied odds are 57%, although it should be noted that “Il Diavolo” scored the second-fewest goals in the Champions League group stage behind RB Salzburg (five), even though only four other teams had more shots on goal than the Rossoneri (95). The biggest point of criticism was therefore not the creation of chances, but the exploitation of them

Milan want to build on their attacking performances in the league

In recent weeks, however, the Lombard side’s attacking stars have certainly been able to break free. In nine of the last eleven Serie A matches, for example, Rafael Leao and Co. have scored at least twice; six times the Pioli eleven have even scored three or more goals. In nine out of eleven cases, the over 2.5 would also have gone through, especially as the Milan defense, which is still without almost all of its regular central defenders due to a lack of replacements, often did not make a particularly secure impression.

This is one of the reasons why the odds for at least three goals in the match between AC Milan and Rennes are also very interesting. After two clean sheets on the first two match days of the CL preliminary round, the over 2.5 would also have paid off in four consecutive CL group games.

Meanwhile, there are some big names to consider as potential goalscorers on Thursday evening. However, a goal from Olivier Giroud would have the most charm; after all, at 37 years and 138 days, the French oldie could become the fourth-oldest player in Europa League history to score in the knockout phase. That is by no means unlikely, as the Europa League can certainly be described as the world champion’s favorite competition thanks to his eleven goals in his last nine EL games (seven goals, four assists). If Giroud even scores to make it 1-0 in the first leg, an extremely interesting 5.50 maximum odds can be played at Interwetten.

Predicted line-up of AC Milan:

Rennes – Statistics & current form

Since November 19, 2023, Julien Stéphan has been back in office as head coach of Stade Rennes. The 43-year-old Frenchman, who was already at the helm in the Breton capital between 2018 and 2021 and is now back at the helm of the club close to his heart after a brief interlude with Strasbourg, has brought success back to the club. In 14 competitive matches since Stéphan’s return, the Red & Blacks have recorded ten wins and one draw and conceded just three defeats. Thanks to an excellent average of 2.21 points per match, euphoria has returned to the west of France.

Rennes have recently been filling up with confidence, particularly in Ligue 1. Last year’s fourth-placed team won five consecutive league games. In the new calendar year, they scored twelve points in four attempts. The offensive output with an average of two goals is also very impressive. In the dress rehearsal on Sunday afternoon, however, an away goal was enough to snatch three points in Le Havre and move up to seventh place in the table. The gap to the top three is seven points

Rennes as goal-hungry in the knockout phase as they were in the group stage?

The group stage of the UEFA Europa League has also shown why we tend to predict a lively first leg between AC Milan and Rennes. In five of the six group games involving Stade, a bet on three or more goals would have come true. In five out of six cases, the West French side scored at least two goals of their own. They also recorded two away wins in a row at Maccabi Haifa (3-0) and Panathinaikos Athens (2-1). The club from Brittany have never won three consecutive European Cup matches away from home.

Anyone who believes that Stéphan’s eleven can pull off a surprise coup at the San Siro on Thursday evening can get a whopping 5.40 at Bet3000.

Predicted Rennes line-up:

AC Milan – Rennes head-to-head comparison / H2H result

For the first time ever, the two clubs will face each other on the European stage. On a positive note from Milan’s point of view, however, the Lombards have advanced to the next round in four of the five recent international knockout rounds against French opponents. Rennes have only played four games against Italian teams in their own club history, with just one win (1-2-1).

AC Milan – Rennes betting tip

A very exciting constellation awaits us in the first leg of the intermediate round between AC Milan and Rennes. Judging by the betting odds, the more prestigious of the two clubs from the Italian fashion city has a pretty clear advantage in front of a home crowd. However, the visitors from western France should by no means be underestimated. Especially after the return of successful coach Julien Stéphan, the Bretons’ form curve is clearly pointing upwards.

After five league wins in a row and a remarkable Europa League group stage, we believe Stade Rennes will also have a good away game at the San Siro and, above all, score goals. The offense has been in good form recently and could also benefit from the fact that Milan’s defense is still struggling with personnel problems. Contrary to the rules, the first leg could therefore be a wild one

Our preferred approach is therefore to bet on over 2.5 goals between AC Milan and Rennes. The maximum odds are 1.82 and can be played at Bet365.