USMNT star Christian Pulisic and AC Milan survive thrilling Europa League clash vs Rennes! Benjamin Bourigeaud's hat-trick not enough as Ligue 1 side fall short in comeback attempt

The last thing Milan wanted in this second leg was a goalfest. They had a 3-0 lead from the first leg, after all, so a nice, calm, straightforward second leg would have been ideal for Stefano Pioli's side.

That wasn't what they got, though. Instead, Milan found themselves in a chaotic back-and-forth battle that was always right on the edge of going out of control.

It began with a Benjamin Bourigeaud goal in the 11th minute, the first of his eventual three. Milan, though, answered right back with a goal from Luka Jovic in the 22nd minute. It remained level at one apiece through the 54th minute, when Bourigeaud made it 2-1 from the penalty spot. Four minutes later, though, the Rossoneri fired back, with a fantastic finish from Rafael Leao to restore the three-goal aggregate advantage.

Bourigeaud was given another chance from the spot in the 68th minute, which he buried, but Rennes would get no closer as Milan held on to close out a chaotic second leg.

It wasn't as easy as Milan would have liked, but they got the job done to book their place in the next round of the Europa League.

With the win, Milan have advanced to the Round of 16, with the draw for that round set to be held on Friday. The first legs will then be held on March 7 ahead of second-leg clashes one week later.

Milan are in search of their first-ever Europa League title, having never won the tournament. The club has, of course, won seven Champions League titles, making them one of the most successful in history.

Pulisic was held relatively quiet on the right-hand side, never really getting into the game. He could have had a few chances, including one where Leao failed to spot his run but, generally, he couldn't quite impact the game in a meaningful way.

Musah, meanwhile, was handed a start in midfield, having primarily been used as a sub in recent weeks. The American has always been in and around the Milan team, so no concerns there, but the U.S. will be glad to see him getting starts in big games such as this.

The American lasted 80 minutes before being brought off for defender Malick Thiaw with Milan looking to lock up the result.

Christian Pulisic (6/10):

Just 33 touches and 19 passes, showing how little he really got on the ball. Wasn't his best game, but certainly wasn't poor when he did get the ball.

Yunus Musah (6/10):

A lot of defensive work. Had a few good moments and won a few battles in midfield to help Milan maintain their lead.

After finding out their next Europa League opponents on Friday, Milan will be back in action for a Serie A match on Sunday. They're set to take on Atalanta at the San Siro before facing Lazio on relatively short rest on March 1.