AC Milan have placed one foot into the last 16 of the Europa League thanks to a 3-0 win away at Ludogorets Razgrad in their last-32 first leg on Thursday night.

The Serie A giants went into the game unbeaten in 2018 thus far, having won four and drawn two of their six games in all competitions, and ended up making light work of their Bulgarian opponents to maintain the run.

Patrick Cutrone gave the Rossoneri the lead on the stroke of half time at the Ludogorets Arena thanks to a deft backwards header from a Giacomo Bonaventura cross which left goalkeeper Renan helpless.

Ludogorets came out strongly after the restart as Marcelinho drew a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma before Svetoslav Dyakov struck the crossbar with a ferocious strike from outside the box.

The visitors, however, doubled their advantage just after the hour mark when Cosmin Moti pushed Cutrone in the area, prompting the referee to award Gennaro Gattuso's side a penalty.

Substitute Ricardo Rodriguez converted from the spot with a stuttering run-up followed by a neatly-struck shot into the bottom-right corner which sent Renan the wrong way.

Milan then added a third in the second minute of injury time to all but wrap up the tie as Franck Kessie's cross fell to Fabio Borini, who drilled home at the far post.

LUDOGORETS RAZGRAD (4-2-3-1): Renan; Cicinho, Moti, Plastun, Sasha; Andrianantenaina, Dyakov; Misidjan, Marcelinho (Gustavo 78'), Lukoki (Kovachev 81'); Swierczok (Wanderson 46')

AC MILAN (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Calabria, Romagnoli, Bonucci, Abate (Rodriguez 60'); Bonaventura, Biglia, Kessie; Calhanoglu (Borini 75'), Cutrone (Silva 65'), Suso