Milan return to Europe, while Benfica have hit top gear: prediction for Milan vs Benfica
The first-round clash of the Europa League league phase between Milan and Benfica will take place on September 16 at the Giuseppe Meazza. The Italians are still unbeaten this season, while the Portuguese club head into the encounter on a run of seven consecutive wins in all competitions.
Milan: unbeaten under their new coach
Ruben Amorim's side opened the season with wins over Torino 2-1 and Venezia 2-0, before drawing 1-1 with Juventus and 2-2 with Lazio. In Rome, Milan managed to fight back after conceding twice.
This will mark the club's return to European competition after missing out last season. Amorim may rotate his squad, but the hosts have plenty of options in attack, including Goncalo Ramos, Christian Pulisic and several players in supporting roles.
Benfica: seven straight wins
Marco Silva's side came through a lengthy qualifying campaign, successively eliminating St. Gallen, Hearts and AGF. After reaching the league phase, Benfica continued to gather momentum and won their next four league matches.
The Portuguese side have won all of their last seven games in all competitions. Vangelis Pavlidis has been particularly prolific, scoring six goals in the Europa League qualifiers and already finding the net eight times in the league.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Milan have lost none of their four official matches this season.
- Benfica have won their last seven matches in all competitions.
- The Portuguese club have never beaten Milan in their previous six official meetings.
Both teams are capable of scoring more than once: prediction for Milan vs Benfica
Milan are still adapting to Amorim's demands, while the two most recent draws show that the team is still far from fully consistent. At home, however, the Italians have enough quality to create chances on a regular basis.
Benfica are in superb form and look especially convincing in attack. Given the attacking potential of both teams, this could be an entertaining, high-scoring encounter that ends without a winner.
