AC Milan vs Benfica Predicted Lineups and Team News – UEFA Europa League

AC Milan open their UEFA Europa League League Stage campaign with a high-profile home clash against Benfica in Milan. With both sides starting on 0 points and 0 games played in the League Stage, this fixture sets the tone for their push towards the Play Offs spots. AC Milan come into Europe ranked 23rd in the overall League Round standings projection, tagged for the Play Offs zone, while Benfica sit much higher at a projected 4th place after a strong start to the 2026 season across all competitions.

For bettors and fans tracking predicted lineups, this match offers a fascinating contrast: AC Milan are a traditional European heavyweight rebuilding their identity in this competition, while Benfica arrive with excellent recent form, free-scoring numbers and a settled tactical framework. The Portuguese side’s league form string of LWWDWW underlines both their attacking power and resilience, with 19 goals scored and just 6 conceded in 6 league fixtures. With no Europa League form yet for Milan, squad quality, home advantage and expected starting lineup choices will be central to assessing the balance of power.

Odds markets slightly lean towards AC Milan at home, but model projections give Benfica a 50% chance to win compared with 0% for Milan and 50% for the draw, highlighting how finely poised this encounter is despite the San Siro setting. That makes getting the predicted lineups and starting lineup calls right especially important for anyone looking at early betting positions or simply trying to understand how these two squads might match up on the night.

AC Milan Team News & Expected Lineups Today

AC Milan have no listed injuries or suspensions for this Europa League opener. With a full squad available, selection will revolve around blending established experience with younger depth options. There is no recent Europa League form string to lean on, so the expected approach is a balanced, slightly cautious setup that still allows their creative midfielders and wide attackers to influence the game.

Given the absence of confirmed absences and the need to manage a long European campaign, the manager is likely to lean on proven senior figures such as M. Maignan in goal, F. Tomori in defence, and high-profile midfield names like L. Modrić and R. Loftus-Cheek. In attack, the presence of options such as Gonçalo Ramos, S. Chukwueze and C. Pulišić gives Milan enough firepower to threaten Benfica’s back line, even if there are no Europa League top scorers from Milan yet on the board. The expected lineup should reflect a compact defensive block behind a technically strong midfield and a mobile front line.

AC Milan Predicted Lineups & Starting Lineup

Predicted Starting XI:
GK: M. Maignan
DF: F. Tomori; M. Gabbia; Mario Gila; P. Estupiñán
MF: L. Modrić; R. Loftus-Cheek; Y. Musah
FW: C. Pulišić; S. Chukwueze; Gonçalo Ramos

This predicted starting lineup leans heavily on experience in key zones. M. Maignan is the clear first-choice goalkeeper from the available pool and offers elite shot-stopping plus distribution to help Milan build from the back. In defence, F. Tomori anchors the line, supported by M. Gabbia and Mario Gila as reliable central options, while P. Estupiñán is included from the squad list as a wide player classified as a midfielder but expected to operate in a deeper, left-sided role to provide balance and progression down the flank.

In midfield, L. Modrić and R. Loftus-Cheek give Milan a blend of control, passing range and physical presence. Y. Musah adds energy and ball-carrying from deeper areas, crucial against Benfica’s high-tempo attacking unit. Ahead of them, C. Pulišić and S. Chukwueze bring direct dribbling and one‑v‑one threat from wide or half-space positions, feeding Gonçalo Ramos as the central reference point. While Milan lack Europa League top scorers in this dataset, this front line has enough quality to exploit transitions and set-piece situations, particularly with Modrić’s delivery and Pulišić’s movement between the lines.

Benfica Team News & Expected Lineups Today

Benfica travel to Milan in excellent form but with a couple of notable absences. Full-back A. Bah is ruled out as a Missing Fixture due to injury, while attacker Bruma is also listed as Missing Fixture, off the roster for this game. Outside of these two, no further issues are recorded, leaving the Portuguese side with a deep and well-balanced squad. Their recent league form of LWWDWW, combined with a strong attacking record of 19 goals in 6 league matches, suggests they will bring an assertive, attacking-minded shape even away from home.

Given their recent Europa League output, the expected lineups today will be built around a core of high-impact performers. V. Pavlidis stands out as the competition’s top scorer so far with 5 goals and 1 assist in 3 appearances, while Rafa, A. Schjelderup and D. Lukebakio all feature prominently in both the top scorers and top assists charts. In midfield, creative and linking options like H. Sudakov, J. Kamiński and L. Barreiro have all contributed assists, underlining the depth of playmaking around their main striker. The manager is likely to stick close to the most-used formations this season, with Benfica’s league lineups frequently using a 4-2-3-1 or a similarly attacking structure.

Benfica Predicted Lineups & Starting Lineup

Predicted Starting XI: (4-2-3-1)
GK: A. Trubin
DF: C. Lenglet; Tomás Araújo; S. El Karouani; S. Dahl
MF: João Palhinha; E. Barrenechea; H. Sudakov; J. Kamiński; Rafa
FW: V. Pavlidis

In goal, A. Trubin is the standout first-choice option from the goalkeeper group and is expected to start, given his profile and experience. At the back, C. Lenglet and Tomás Araújo are both among Benfica’s Europa League goal contributors from defensive positions, making them logical picks to start centrally. With A. Bah unavailable, the full-back roles are likely to be filled by S. El Karouani and S. Dahl from the defender pool, offering balance between defensive solidity and overlapping support.

The double pivot of João Palhinha and E. Barrenechea provides a strong platform in midfield: Palhinha as the ball-winner and screen in front of the defence, Barrenechea as a more progressive passer. Ahead of them, the trio of H. Sudakov, J. Kamiński and Rafa brings creativity and final-third quality. All three feature in the Europa League top assists list, each with at least one assist, and their ability to rotate positions between central and wide areas makes Benfica very difficult to track. Leading the line, V. Pavlidis is the clear focal point; his 5 goals and 1 assist in just 3 appearances, plus his presence at the top of the yellow card and red card disciplinary charts, underline how central he is to Benfica’s attacking and pressing schemes. This predicted lineup today maximises Benfica’s current attacking form while compensating for the loss of Bah and Bruma.

Injuries and Suspended Players Impact

The main selection disruptions fall on Benfica’s side, with AC Milan heading into this fixture with a clean bill of health based on the available information. That asymmetry could subtly tilt the tactical dynamics, especially in wide defensive areas for the visitors where A. Bah’s absence is significant.

AC Milan Absences:

• No significant absences reported.

Benfica Absences:

• A. Bah — Injury (Missing Fixture)
• Bruma — Off the roster (Missing Fixture)

Tactical Analysis: How the Lineups Match Up

On paper, this looks like a clash between AC Milan’s balanced, slightly more conservative structure and Benfica’s high-tempo, chance-creating machine. Milan’s predicted back line of F. Tomori, M. Gabbia, Mario Gila and P. Estupiñán is built for aerial strength and positional discipline rather than extreme width. That suits a plan to keep a compact block, protect the central channels against V. Pavlidis, and rely on full-backs stepping out selectively rather than committing too many bodies forward. In midfield, the trio of L. Modrić, R. Loftus-Cheek and Y. Musah should allow Milan to slow the game when needed, recycle possession and try to pull Benfica’s double pivot out of shape.

Benfica, by contrast, will look to dominate the middle and half-spaces with their creative band behind Pavlidis. The combination of H. Sudakov, J. Kamiński and Rafa offers a constant rotation of runners between the lines, with Sudakov and Kamiński both appearing in the top assists rankings and Rafa contributing 2 goals and 1 assist already. Their movement will test Milan’s midfield tracking and the communication between Modrić, Loftus-Cheek and Musah. Out wide, S. Dahl and S. El Karouani will be tasked with handling C. Pulišić and S. Chukwueze; if they are pinned back, Benfica’s ability to progress through the wings may be limited, forcing more central combinations. Conversely, if they push high, Milan’s front three will find space on the counter. The central duel between João Palhinha and Gonçalo Ramos dropping off the line will also be key, as Palhinha’s ability to break up play could prevent Milan from connecting midfield to attack.

Match Prediction and Verdict

Stats suggest Benfica arrive in far better rhythm, with their league form of LWWDWW, 19 goals scored and an attacking index that has them scoring in every recent outing. The prediction model leans clearly towards the Portuguese side as the expected winner, assigning Benfica a 50% chance to win, 50% to the draw and 0% to an AC Milan victory. However, the betting markets are more cautious: home odds for Milan range roughly from 2.05 to 2.14 (implied probability around 46.7–48.8%), while away odds on Benfica sit between 3.20 and 3.49 (implied around 28.7–31.3%), and the draw between 3.40 and 3.62 (implied around 27.6–29.4%). That discrepancy highlights how much respect the market gives to Milan’s home advantage and squad quality despite Benfica’s form.

With the predicted scoreline not explicitly quantified, but the winner direction and probabilities pointing towards Benfica, the most data-aligned verdict is that the visitors are slightly more likely to edge a tight, tactical contest, while the draw remains a strong runner given Milan’s defensive resources and the early stage of the League Round. Expect Milan to keep things relatively controlled, but Benfica’s firepower through V. Pavlidis and their creative midfield could be enough to tilt the balance if they convert their chances efficiently.

Predicted Outcome: AC Milan 1–2 Benfica

How to Watch AC Milan vs Benfica Worldwide

Here is how you can watch the match and see the official lineups today live:

• Spain: Local sports pay-TV channel or major streaming platform (check regional listings)
• UK: Premium sports broadcaster or official UEFA Europa League streaming partner
• USA / North America: National soccer-focused network or subscription streaming service carrying UEFA competitions
• South America: Regional sports cable network and associated streaming apps
• MENA: Pan-regional sports network with UEFA Europa League rights and its digital platform