RENNES, France — AC Milan reached the UEFA Europa League last 16 despite a 3-2 loss at Stade Rennais as Benjamin Bourigeaud’s hat-trick was not enough for the hosts to stop the Italian side completing a 5-3 aggregate victory.
Azerbaijan’s Qarabag advanced after a thrilling game against Portuguese side Braga which they lost 3-2 after extra time but won the tie 6-5 on aggregate.
Rennes, facing an uphill battle after Milan secured an emphatic 3-0 home win in the first leg, started aggressively in rainy conditions, Reuters reported.
Bourigeaud scored with a shot into the bottom corner after 11 minutes before Luka Jovic levelled with a powerful header.
Bourigeaud converted a penalty nine minutes into the second half after Simon Kjaer’s trip on Martin Terrier, before Rafael Leao equalised in the 58th minute for Milan.
“We gave it our all from start to finish, regardless of the position we were in and the goals we conceded. This hat-trick is the reward for a whole team´s effort,” Bourigeaud told UEFA.com.
Rennes was awarded another penalty in the 68th minute after a handball by Jovic and Bourigeaud completed his hat-trick from the spot.
“We will all have our opinions coming back, but we have qualified. Getting through to the next round seemed easy in the first leg, it wasn´t an easy affair, but we still have a lot of situations to evaluate,” Milan manager Stefano Pioli told Sky Sports Italy.
Milan, who dropped into the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group, will find out who they play in the round of 16 on Friday.
“I think the match confirmed that we have a lot of potential going forwards. But we have to concede fewer chances against our opponents,” Pioli added.
Qarabag, down to 10 men early in the second half, forced their match against Braga into extra time before Nariman Akhundzade’s late goal sent them through.
Benfica and Toulouse shared the spoils in a goalless draw as the Portuguese champions advanced to the last 16 after beating the struggling French 2-1 team at home in the first leg.
Freiburg beat Lens 3-2 after extra time following a goalless first leg in France.
David Costa and Elye Wahi scored for Lens before the break and Roland Sallai pulled one back for hosts Freiburg before equalising in stoppage time.
Michael Gregoritsch emerged as Freiburg’s hero with a goal in extra time to send the German side into the last 16.
The eight winners will take on the Europa League´s group winners, who qualified directly for the round of 16.
They are Liverpool, West Ham and Brighton from the Premier League, as well Leverkusen, Atalanta, Villarreal, Rangers and Slavia Prague.
Two-time European champion Benfica held host Toulouse 0-0 to progress 2-1 on aggregate.
Michael Gregoritsch completed a 3-2 comeback victory for Freiburg over Lens nine minutes into extra time to send the Bundesliga team to the next round.
At Baku, Nariman Akhunndzade scored in stoppage time of the three-goal extra time to give 10-man Qarabag a spot in the round of 16 in a European competition for the first time at the expense of Braga with a 6-5 aggregate victory.
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE
In the third-tier competition, Takuro Kaneko´s second-half equalizer salvaged a 1-1 draw for Dinamo Zagreb and secured a spot in the next round at the expense of Real Betis after the Croatian team upset the Spanish favorite 1-0 in the opening leg in Sevilla.
Servette’s lone goal at Ludogorets was enough to advance after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.
Substitute Kenneth Taylor scored the winner in the 114th minute of extra time for Ajax to defeat host Bodø/Glimt 2-1 and knock out the Norwegian team 4-3 on aggregate with both teams reduced to 10.
In game, Maccabi Haifa drew 1-1 at Gent to advance.
The competition´s playoffs feature the runner-up teams from the group stage facing the third-place finishers in the Europa League group stage.
The eight group winners, including Aston Villa and last year’s runner-up Fiorentina, have advanced to the last 16.
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