Europa League: Milan thrash Rennes, Qarabag stun Braga, Lukaku rescues Roma

The Europa League knockout play-off round kicked off on Thursday night, with some exciting matches and surprising results across Europe.

AC Milan were the most impressive team of the night, as they crushed Rennes 3-0 at San Siro, thanks to a brace from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and a goal from Rafael Leao. The Italian giants have a huge advantage for the second leg, while Rennes face an uphill battle to overturn the deficit.

Qarabag also pulled off a shock result, as they beat Braga 4-2 away from home, despite conceding first. The Azerbaijani side scored three goals in the second half to take control of the tie, while Braga could only manage a late penalty from Joao Moutinho.

Roma needed a late equaliser from Romelu Lukaku to salvage a 1-1 draw against Feyenoord in Rotterdam. The Dutch side took the lead just before the break through Igor Paixao, but Lukaku levelled the score with his 67th minute strike. The Belgian star has now scored in 11 consecutive Europa League games, a new record.

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Shakhtar Donetsk and Marseille also played out a 2-2 draw in Hamburg, where the Ukrainian side were the nominal hosts. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Iliman Ndiaye scored for the French team, but Shakhtar responded twice through Tete and Alan Patrick.

Galatasaray edged out Sparta Prague 3-2 in a thrilling game in Istanbul, where both teams had a player sent off. Dries Mertens, Mauro Icardi and Emre Kilinc scored for the Turkish side, while Adam Hlozek and Jan Kuchta netted for the Czechs.

Sporting CP and Benfica both won their games against Swiss and French opposition, respectively. Sporting beat Young Boys 3-1 in Bern, with goals from Viktor Gyokeres, Goncalo Inacio and Pedro Goncalves. Benfica defeated Toulouse 2-1 in Lisbon, with Angel Di Maria scoring two penalties, one in the 98th minute.

The only goalless draw of the night was between Lens and Freiburg in France, where neither team could find the breakthrough. Lens had more possession and shots, but Freiburg had more chances on target.

The second legs of the knockout play-off round will take place on Thursday, February 22, with eight spots in the last 16 up for grabs.