AC MILAN vs. BENFICA: MATCH PREVIEW

2026/27 UEFA Europa League, Matchday 1. AC Milan and Benfica meet at 9:00pm CEST in a heavyweight clash at San Siro. The two clubs contested the European Cup final in both 1963 and 1990, while the fixture also holds special significance for several familiar faces, including Rúben Amorim, Gonçalo Ramos, Diego Moreira and Rui Costa, now president of the Portuguese club. The teams last met at San Siro 19 years ago, in the opening game of Group D in the 2007/08 Champions League. The Rossoneri shirts will also feature something new: starting with AC Milan v Benfica and throughout the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League, The Madhappy Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting mental well-being, will appear in the space on the back of the shirt normally reserved for Fondazione Milan.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
The Rossoneri head into this European classic against Benfica on the back of two consecutive draws: 1-1 away to Juventus and 2-2 away to Lazio. The upcoming San Siro fixtures against Benfica and Lecce will conclude this opening run of games before the extended international break, with Serie A resuming on October 11. The team is in good shape and remains unbeaten this season, while the players continue to absorb the coach’s ideas and demands. Everyone is available for tonight’s European opener, and Amorim could make a few changes from the starting lineup at the Olimpico.

Amorim spoke at his pre-match press conference: “It’s an important occasion and we can’t wait to begin our European campaign. We’re facing a very strong team with a clear identity, a great coach and players who are used to dealing with pressure. They know how to vary their style of play, make good use of the wings and create plenty of rotations. It will be a difficult match, but we’re playing at San Siro and we can count on our fans. At a club like AC Milan, there is no such thing as a minimum objective. We are talking about a competition and our objective has to be to win it.”

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LATEST FROM BENFICA
Benfica, coached by Marco Silva since this summer, began its competitive season early on July 23 with the first of three UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds. St. Gallen, Heart of Midlothian and Aarhus were the obstacles successfully overcome by the Portuguese side, which has also collected 16 points from its opening six league matches. The summer transfer window brought several reinforcements to a team that finished the 2025/26 season in third place behind Porto and Sporting despite going unbeaten across all 34 league games. Sudakov, Lenglet, Durán, Circati, Echeverri and Palhinha are all new arrivals, adding quality and experience. Benfica has a strong squad equipped to challenge for the trophy.

Marco Silva, Benfica Head Coach: "It will be a very difficult game, without a doubt. We have had an even tougher journey, having played six games to get here. Any team that plays here, whether domestically or in Europe, knows they will face a big challenge. It's a tough to place to play, given the quality of the home side."

PRE-MATCH STATISTICS

• AC Milan has never lost to Benfica in major European competition, going unbeaten in all six previous meetings (W4, D2), including victories in the two European Cup finals between the sides, in 1963 and 1990.
• AC Milan has gone unbeaten in 16 of its last 18 matches against Portuguese opposition in European competition (W9, D7). Both defeats came against Porto in the Champions League, in October 2021 and September 1996.
• Rúben Amorim led Manchester United to the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League final, where the club lost 1-0 to Tottenham. The AC Milan coach has lost only one of his last six matches against Benfica in all competitions (W2, D3), all while in charge of Sporting.
• Gonçalo Ramos made 106 appearances and scored 41 goals for Benfica in all competitions between 2020 and 2023. His most prolific club season came in 2022/23, when he scored 27 goals in 47 competitive appearances for the Portuguese side.

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v BENFICA
In Italy, it will be broadcast live on Sky Sport and Now TV. To watch it from another country, you can check the AC Milan on TV webpage and select the "Abroad" tab. Don't miss the coverage on acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App, as well as the Club's social media channels and WhatsApp.

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LATEST FROM THE EUROPA LEAGUE
The referee will be 39-year-old Jarred Gillett, an Australian official who has refereed in the Premier League since 2021 and will be making his debut in European competition. Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh will serve as the assistant referees, with Tony Harrington as the fourth official and Attwell and Kwiatkowski on VAR duty.

The schedule for UEFA Europa League Matchday 1 is spread across two days, beginning on Wednesday, September 16, at 6:45pm CEST with Omonia vs. Celta and Ararat-Armenia vs. Sparta Praha. The 9:00pm CEST kickoffs are Bayer Leverkusen vs. Celje, AC Milan vs. Benfica, Olympiacos vs. Jagiellonia, Anderlecht vs. Lyon, Sturm Graz vs. Rennes, Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar, and Hapoel Be’er Sheva vs. GNK Dinamo. On Thursday, September 17, OFI Crete vs. Hoffenheim and Levski Sofia vs. Salzburg kick off at 6:45pm CEST. The 9:00pm CEST games are Juventus vs. N.E.C, Real Sociedad vs. Bournemouth, Viktoria Plzeň vs. Union SG, Celtic vs. Ferencváros, Crystal Palace vs. Lech Poznań, Beşiktaş vs. Marseille, and Lillestrøm vs. Torreense.

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