Milan Faces Benfica in First "Europa League" Top Clash

The league phase of the UEFA Europa League kicks off tomorrow, featuring 36 teams in the third edition held under the new format, in which each club plays eight matches against different opponents.

The opening round features a number of strong clashes, headlined by the match between Italian side Milan and Portuguese club Benfica, alongside appearances by several historically significant and experienced clubs on the European stage.

All eyes will be on the San Siro stadium, where Italian side Milan begins its campaign in the competition against Portuguese club Benfica today, in one of the strongest matches of the opening round.

The Italian team participates in the tournament for the first time since the introduction of the league phase format, while Benfica enters the encounter with considerable European experience, compelling the home side to treat the match as an early test of their ambitions in the competition.

Milan hopes to leverage home advantage and crowd support to secure a strong start, particularly as the new format makes every point crucial for qualification calculations.

Milan has shown a somewhat convincing start in the new Serie A season under the guidance of their new Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim, winning two matches and drawing two after four rounds.

Meanwhile, Benfica seeks a positive result in Italy, in a clash between two clubs with a long history in European competitions.

Domestically, Benfica sits second in the Portuguese league table this season after six rounds, accumulating 16 points, two points behind leaders and last season’s champions Porto.

In another fixture, German side Bayer Leverkusen begins its European campaign by hosting Slovenian club Celje, a match in which the German team appears favored. Leverkusen returns to the Europa League after a one-season absence, having reached the final in the 2023/2024 campaign before losing to Italian side Atalanta.

Leverkusen aims to avoid any surprises at the start of its campaign and secure the three points that could provide a significant boost before tougher matches in the league phase. Celje, the Slovenian champions, face a major challenge against one of Germany’s most prominent clubs, seeking a historic away result.

Leverkusen has not delivered the expected start in the German Bundesliga this season, sitting seventh with four points, after beginning the campaign with a surprising defeat to promoted side Elversberg.

French club Lyon travels to face Belgian side Anderlecht in a match bringing together two teams with extensive experience in continental competitions.

The French side, which saw young player Malick Fofana leave for English club Sunderland, aims to return from Belgium with a result that provides a strong start to the tournament, while Anderlecht relies on home advantage and fan support to achieve a strong beginning.

In the rest of the round’s matches, English side Crystal Palace will face Polish club Lech Poznan, Czech team Viktoria Plzeň will take on Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, while Italian club Juventus will host Dutch side Nijmegen. Norwegian team Lillestrøm will play against Portuguese side Torres, Turkish club Besiktas will face French side Marseille, Spanish team Real Sociedad will meet English club Bournemouth, English side Sunderland will play against Dutch team AZ Alkmaar, Greek club Olympiacos will face Polish side Jagiellonia, Austrian team Sturm Graz will take on French side Rennes, Cypriot club Omonia will meet Spanish side Celta Vigo, Armenian team Ararat will face Czech club Sparta Prague, Czech side Viktoria Plzeň will play against Belgian Union Saint-Gilloise, Bulgarian club Levski Sofia will face Austrian team Red Bull Salzburg, and Greek side OFI will meet German club Hoffenheim.