One foot in the next round! Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah and AC Milan blast Rennes in first leg of Europa League tie

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was Milan's hero on the day, scoring the first two goals to ensure that the Italian giants would seize the advantage.

The ex-Chelsea man scored his first goal in the 32nd minute, breaking the deadlock during a fairly dominant Milan first half. His second came just after halftime, effectively putting the game to bed with a close-range reactionary finish just two minutes into the second 45.

Milan's third came from Rafael Leao, who had been desperate to score, and that third should seal Milan's place in the next round despite their upcoming trip to France.

The win should ease some pressure, particularly on manager Stefano Pioli, who has been under fire for results this season. Barring a Rennes miracle, Milan should be into the next round of the Europa League as they look to march on through the knockout rounds.

As for Leao, the goal will certainly be a weight off his shoulders as it ended a five-match goalless streak. He'd scored in just one of Milan's last seven games and hasn't scored outside of the Coppa Italia since November.

If the Portuguese superstar can find his form, Milan will be a tough team to beat going forward.

Having been a bit quiet lately, Pulisic wasn't the star of the show in this one, either, with his former Chelsea teammate Loftus-Cheek taking home Man of the Match honors. Pulisic had some decent moments on the ball, though, even if he couldn't quite contribute to a Milan goal.

Musah, meanwhile, made just his second start since December and it was an impressive one. The American had a solid game in the middle of the field, completing all but one of his passes, creating one chance and winning four duels.

Overall, it was a solid shift for Musah, who made a good case for a return to the starting XI in Serie A matches.

Christian Pulisic (7/10):

Active and effective, but just lacked that little bit of luck needed to get his goal. A solid performance, though, even if it wasn't game-changing.

Yunus Musah (7/10):

Decent shift for the American midfielder. Didn't do a whole lot wrong and had some good moments on both sides of the ball.

Milan can now look ahead to a return to Serie A, where they sit third chasing Juventus and runaway league-leaders Inter. On Sunday, they'll visit Monza before focus turns back toward the Europa League as Milan head to France to wrap up this two-leg tie with Rennes on February 22.