AC Milan vs Benfica Europa League Clash: Team Updates, Lineups & Viewing Info

AC Milan Hosts Benfica in Europa League Opener

AC Milan welcomes Benfica to the San Siro for the first round of the Europa League. The match kicks off at 21:00 CET / 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday. These two historic clubs missed out on last season's Champions League and now meet on European soil once again.

The Big Question: Can Milan Maintain Their Unbeaten Run Against Benfica's Winning Streak?

Milan enters this fixture undefeated in Serie A after four matches, with two wins and two draws. They notably fought back from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with Lazio, thanks to Diego Moreira scoring twice after coming off the bench. Benfica arrive in excellent form under manager Marco Silva, riding a seven-match winning streak across all competitions. Their latest victory was a 3-1 comeback against Gil Vicente.

A personal subplot adds spice: Ruben Amorim, Benfica's coach, spent nine years as a player at Benfica and frequently faced them as Sporting's manager, often with success. Still, history favors Milan—Benfica has yet to beat them in six competitive encounters, including two European Cup finals from 1963 and 1990.

AC Milan Team News

Coach Amorim plans to rotate his squad for this midweek game. Defenders Mattia Gabbia and Mario Gila have recovered from minor injuries and are available, though only one will likely start. Modrić’s participation remains unclear; at 41 years old and with his last European appearance outside the Champions League dating to 2011, this seems more about managing the squad than injury concerns.

Gonçalo Ramos, who rose through Benfica's youth system before moving on to PSG and Milan, is expected to start against his former club. Christian Pulisic, Alphadjo Cissé, and Samuel Chukwueze vie for other attacking roles.

Benfica Team News

Alexander Bah remains out due to a shoulder injury, so either Fredrik Aursnes or Daniel Banjaqui should play at right-back. Vangelis Pavlidis leads Benfica’s attack after a strong start to the season, already netting six goals in qualifying rounds. With a challenging league match at Porto looming Sunday, Marco Silva might also rotate some players.

Confirmed Lineups

• AC Milan: Formation and lineup to be confirmed
• Benfica: Formation and lineup to be confirmed

Where to Watch AC Milan vs Benfica

• 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 rich European experience and strong momentum into this highly anticipated opener. Milan aims to make a strong statement in their first Europa League appearance since 2020-21, while Benfica seeks to continue their hot streak in a fresh competition. Expect a competitive evening at the San Siro.