AC Milan - Benfica

Wednesday evening at San Siro, AC Milan and Benfica meet for their Europa League matchday 1 encounter. The hosts enter the competition following a period of mixed results in Serie A, including a recent 2-2 draw against Lazio and a 1-1 stalemate with Juventus. Milan will look to lean on the experience of Luka Modric and the attacking threat of Goncalo Ramos as they aim to establish early momentum in the group stage.

Benfica arrive in Milan carrying significant form, having secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Gil Vicente in their latest outing. Their path to this stage was marked by a dominant qualifying run, including a 6-2 aggregate win over AGF. With Vangelis Pavlidis leading the line, the visitors will look to test a Milan defence expected to feature Strahinja Pavlovic and Matteo Gabbia in a high-stakes European opener.