AC Milan begin their Europa League league-phase campaign at home to Benfica on Wednesday, with both sides arriving in contrasting circumstances. The Rossoneri will look to make home advantage count at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, while the visitors travel to Milan on a seven-match winning run.
The match takes place on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, with kick-off at 19:00 GMT. It will be played at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro) in Milan.
Coverage is available on beIN Sports in France, ESPN+ in the United States, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, DAZN in Canada, DAZN and Sky Deutschland in Germany, DAZN in Portugal and Spain, and Canal+ Sport and New World Sport in Africa.
A favourable record for AC Milan
AC Milan have never lost any of their six official meetings with Benfica, winning four and drawing two. However, the clubs have not faced each other since 2007, when both of their Champions League encounters ended level.
The first of those matches finished 1-1, with the second meeting also ending in a draw. AC Milan will now aim to maintain that unbeaten record in their first European fixture of the season.
Contrasting preparations
AC Milan remain unbeaten in Serie A after four matches. Their most recent league game ended in a 2-2 draw against Lazio, despite the Rossoneri having held a two-goal advantage before being pegged back.
After missing out on European football last season, AC Milan are returning to continental competition and will rely on their record at San Siro to begin the new campaign positively.
Benfica, meanwhile, have won their past seven matches in all competitions. They defeated Gil Vicente 3-1 last weekend and secured their place in the Europa League league phase with a victory over Aarhus.
The Portuguese side have also won their past four away matches, a run that will give them confidence before their visit to Milan.
Match prediction and odds
AC Milan are marginal favourites, with a 46% chance of victory compared with 29% for Benfica. The probability of a draw is put at 25%, with home advantage at San Siro considered a key factor.
Africafoot’s prediction is for a 2-1 win for AC Milan.
The listed 1xBet odds are 2.10 for an AC Milan victory, 3.50 for a draw and 3.18 for Benfica to win.