Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s Double Completes AC Milan’s Resounding 3-0 Win Over Rennes
AC Milan and Ruben Loftus-Cheek played like a team that unfortunately did not qualify from the Champions League group of death, as they completely dominated their French opposition at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in their Europa League Round of 32 tussle. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was the driving figure on the night as he netted a superb double either side of half-time before Rafael Leão rounded off the night with a third. It was AC Milan’s fifth win in six games after their Coppa Italia elimination as they hope to secure en route towards Europe’s most coveted trophy next season.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek Sends Milan One-Foot in The Next Round
After finally ending his long tenure at his boyhood club, Chelsea, Ruben Loftus-Cheek followed in the footsteps of Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud to San Siro as the next part of his journey. Since arriving in Italy, the English midfielder has featured in most of Milan’s games and got himself on the scoresheet on five occasions. Today, Ruben Loftus-Cheek added two more to his tally as he inspired Milan’s 3-0 demolition of Rennes.
Right after the first whistle, Milan looked to have the French opposition number as they dominated proceedings with numerous chances before Ruben Loftus-Cheek broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark with a decisive header. The former Chelsea midfielder then registered his second with another confident header from a corner. While none of his goals showed exceptional skill, it is hardly a criticism as it displayed more of his desire and determination to get ahead of his man.
Rafael Leão quickly added a third six minutes later as he placed a superb first-time finish back past Steve Mandanda, securing more leeway for Milan ahead of the second-leg tie at Roazhon Park next week. Incidentally, it was Rennes first defeat in nine matches after their intense 2-3 loss to Villareal in December, and the French side needs to muster something miraculous to turn things around against an inform AC Milan and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek Delighted with Training Paying Off
Speaking to the official UEFA broadcast after the match, Ruben Loftus-Cheek explained: “I’ve been working on this, getting to the right position to score, and it’s going well now. I have played in various different midfield roles, but this is a position I enjoy as I am closer to the goal. I try to enjoy myself on the field and feel free when I play now.”
The English midfielder continued: “The secret is just that I am in good shape physically. I had problems a few months ago with that injury, but now I feel better and hope to continue like this. We have the quality to win this trophy, but we have to take it one game at a time. Tonight was incredible at home. It was an important win, but we are only halfway through.”
As for AC Milan’s manager Stefano Pioli, he insists that although it’s a good moment, you should never relax in football. As for his midfielder’s MOTM performance, the gaffer responded: “He has significant physical power, which he must be well to exploit. He can also give us a lot of satisfaction in terms of scoring. I found him to be more attacking and with even more quality. I saw him as a box-to-box player, but not with all this quality and physicality. He reminds me of Milinkovic-Savic. I’m happy for him because he’s really amazing.”
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Could Ruben Loftus-Cheek Land a Spot in the Upcoming Euro?
Like the question in the Jordan Henderson article, could this small purple patch make Gareth Southgate consider Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the national squad ahead of the Euros in Germany? Unfortunately, it does not seem likely for the midfielder as his last appearance for the Three Lions was in 2019, and he is also not a star-known name.
Moreover, despite what Gareth Southgate achieved with England, he is often criticised for favouring players’ legacy instead of current performance, meaning Jordan Henderson has much better odds of boarding the plane ahead of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. However, if the AC Milan midfielder continues to bring up numbers, the masses will slowly turn to support him, and a late possibility of joining the squad is not improbable.
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