AC Milan vs Benfica Europa League Preview: Team Updates, Lineups & TV Info
On Wednesday at 21:00 CET (3:00 p.m. ET), AC Milan will welcome Benfica to the San Siro for the first round of the Europa League. Both clubs missed out on last season’s Champions League and now meet in a showdown between two historic European teams.
Current Form and Background
Milan have started their Serie A campaign unbeaten through four matches with two wins and two draws. Their recent fixture saw them recover from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with Lazio, thanks to two goals from Diego Moreira off the bench. Meanwhile, Benfica come into this match on a hot streak, winning seven consecutive games in all competitions under manager Marco Silva. Their latest victory was a 3-1 comeback against Gil Vicente.
This matchup also carries personal history: Ruben Amorim, Benfica’s coach, spent nine years as a player with the club and later faced them regularly while managing Sporting, often with favorable results. Historically, Benfica has never beaten Milan in six competitive meetings, including two European Cup finals in 1963 and 1990.
AC Milan Team News
- Injury and availability: Defenders Mattia Gabbia and Mario Gila have recovered from minor issues and are available, but only one is likely to start.
- Midfield: Luka Modrić’s participation is uncertain due to his age and squad rotation plans.
- Attack: Gonçalo Ramos, a former Benfica academy player who had spells at PSG and Milan, is expected to start. Other attacking options include Christian Pulisic, Alphadjo Cissé, and Samuel Chukwueze.
Benfica Team News
- Alexander Bah remains out with a shoulder injury, so right-back duties may fall to Fredrik Aursnes or Daniel Banjaqui.
- Vangelis Pavlidis leads the attack after a strong start to the season with six goals in qualifiers alone.
- Coach Marco Silva might rotate players ahead of a challenging league match against Porto on Sunday.
Confirmed Lineups
- AC Milan: Formation and starting XI to be announced.
- Benfica: Formation and starting XI to be announced.
Where to Watch
- USA: CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ (English), DAZN USA (Spanish)
- Canada: DAZN Canada, FuboTV
- UK: TNT Sports 2
- Italy: Sky Sports 252
- Portugal: SporTV-5
Both teams bring strong European experience and momentum to this intriguing opener. AC Milan aims to make an impact in their first Europa League appearance since the 2020-21 season, while Benfica hopes to carry their winning form into a new competition. The San Siro should host a fiercely contested match.
