AC Milan begin their Europa League campaign against Benfica at San Siro on Wednesday, with two former European champions meeting after missing out on last season’s Champions League. Both clubs are regarded as leading contenders to lift the trophy in Frankfurt next spring.
Milan’s six defeats in their final 10 Serie A matches last season cost them a place among the Champions League qualifiers and triggered a rapid change in leadership. Max Allegri’s second spell ended after one year, with Ruben Amorim appointed to restore the club’s fortunes.
The Rossoneri are unbeaten under Amorim. They defeated Torino and Venice before drawing with Juventus and Lazio. Juventus equalised late in Turin, while Milan recovered from two goals down to earn a hard-fought point in Rome. The club is back in European competition for the first time since losing in the 2024-2025 Champions League play-offs.
Amorim’s most recent European campaign ended in defeat by Manchester United in the 2025 Europa League final. His return to the competition begins against Benfica, the club he represented for nine years as a player. Benfica have never beaten Milan in six official meetings, including defeats in the 1963 and 1990 European Cup finals.
Benfica also endured a disappointing domestic season, finishing third in the Primeira Liga under Jose Mourinho. Marco Silva’s appointment meant they had to enter the Europa League in the qualifying rounds, where they suffered a surprise first-leg defeat by Saint-Gall.
They responded emphatically, winning the return fixture 5-0 before overcoming Hearts 7-2 and AGF 6-2 on aggregate to reach the league phase. The Eagles have since won four successive domestic matches and scored 12 goals. A late surge turned a potential home draw against Gil Vicente into a 3-1 victory, their seventh consecutive win in all competitions. Their next two away fixtures are demanding, with a trip to Porto following the visit to Milan.
Milan’s recent form is V V N N, while Benfica’s Europa League record is D V V N V V and their overall form is V V V V V V.
Amorim may rotate his squad, although Milan are expected to retain their 3-4-2-1 system. Mattia Gabbia and Mario Gila have recovered from minor injuries and are available. Luka Modric, who is 41 and has made 156 European appearances, could start; his last appearance outside the Champions League came in November 2011.
Goncalo Ramos could face his former club, although Alphadjo Cisse, Alexis Saelemaekers, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Omari Hutchinson and Christian Pulisic are also competing for attacking places.
Benfica will rely on Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored six times in qualifying and already has eight Primeira Liga goals. Alexander Bah remains absent with a shoulder injury, meaning Daniel Banjaqui or captain Fredrik Aursnes may fill in at right-back.
Probable teams
AC Milan: Maignan; De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Musah, Moreira; Pulisic, Cisse; Ramos.
Benfica: Soares; Aursnes, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl; Palhinha, Barreiro; Silva, Prestianni, Schjelderup; Pavlidis.
Milan are still seeking balance under Amorim, while Benfica have begun their new era with a succession of high-scoring victories. The prediction is a 2-2 draw, with the exact-score selection listed at 10.00. Other listed prices are 1.58 for over 2.5 goals, 1.50 for both teams to score and 3.60 for a draw.