The UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs started on Thursday, featuring RC Lens, Toulouse FC, and Stade Rennais in action. Here's a look at how these three Ligue 1 teams fared in the first leg of their matchups.
Benfica 2-1 Toulouse
Carles Martínez Novell and his squad traveled to the Estádio da Luz for a matchup against Benfica. Toulouse left with a 2-1 loss as their defense was tested in the contest. The Portuguese side registered 27 total shots in the 90 minutes.
Former Paris Saint-Germain player Ángel Di María opened the scoring courtesy of a penalty kick in the 68th minute. Despite facing an onslaught of shots, Les Violets responded quickly as Mikkel Desler leveled the scoring in the 75th minute.
Toulouse experienced a tough moment late in the match when Di María scored a second penalty kick in the second-half stoppage time. The action now moves to the Stadium de Toulouse on February 22, where the Ligue 1 side is eager for a favorable outcome to propel them to the Round of 16.
RC Lens 0-0 SC Freiburg
Lens and Freiburg played to a scoreless draw at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Both squads registered double-digit total shots in the contest, but neither side could break the deadlock. Lens will now need to go on the road and get a win at the Europa-Park Stadion next week to advance to the Round of 16.
AC Milan 3-0 Stade Rennais
Rennes arrived at the San Siro on a high note with a nine-match unbeaten streak, but things didn't go their way against AC Milan. Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored twice, and Rafael Leão added a third goal for the Serie A side. It proved to be enough for AC Milan to secure a comfortable lead as they head into the second leg.
Julien Stéphan and his team had a tough time finding the back of the net despite taking 12 shots in total. To turn things around and overcome the 3-0 deficit at Roazhon Park next week, they'll need to deliver a stronger performance.
The UEFA Europa League knockout round play-offs started on Thursday, featuring RC Lens, Toulouse FC, and Stade Rennais in action. Here's a look at how these three Ligue 1 teams fared in the first leg of their matchups.
Benfica 2-1 Toulouse
Carles Martínez Novell and his squad traveled to the Estádio da Luz for a matchup against Benfica. Toulouse left with a 2-1 loss as their defense was tested in the contest. The Portuguese side registered 27 total shots in the 90 minutes.
Former Paris Saint-Germain player Ángel Di María opened the scoring courtesy of a penalty kick in the 68th minute. Despite facing an onslaught of shots, Les Violets responded quickly as Mikkel Desler leveled the scoring in the 75th minute.
Toulouse experienced a tough moment late in the match when Di María scored a second penalty kick in the second-half stoppage time. The action now moves to the Stadium de Toulouse on February 22, where the Ligue 1 side is eager for a favorable outcome to propel them to the Round of 16.
RC Lens 0-0 SC Freiburg
Lens and Freiburg played to a scoreless draw at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Both squads registered double-digit total shots in the contest, but neither side could break the deadlock. Lens will now need to go on the road and get a win at the Europa-Park Stadion next week to advance to the Round of 16.
AC Milan 3-0 Stade Rennais
Rennes arrived at the San Siro on a high note with a nine-match unbeaten streak, but things didn't go their way against AC Milan. Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored twice, and Rafael Leão added a third goal for the Serie A side. It proved to be enough for AC Milan to secure a comfortable lead as they head into the second leg.
Julien Stéphan and his team had a tough time finding the back of the net despite taking 12 shots in total. To turn things around and overcome the 3-0 deficit at Roazhon Park next week, they'll need to deliver a stronger performance.