Benfica came to San Siro and left with a result fotmob.com called historic, beating AC Milan 2-0 in their UEFA Europa League league stage opener on September 16. Dodi Lukebakio broke the deadlock in the 16th minute and Jakub Kamiński doubled the lead eight minutes into the second half, exploiting a Milan side that coach Ruben Amorim later admitted was ‘not in the game during the first half.’ Anatoliy Trubin made four saves behind them as Benfica absorbed everything Milan threw at them with 60 percent possession and held firm for a clean sheet.
Key Moments
- 11′, Strahinja Pavlović picked up an early yellow card for holding, giving Benfica a free kick in a dangerous area and setting an edgy tone for Milan’s backline.
- 16′, Dodi Lukebakio opened the scoring, converting with the assist from Jakub Kamiński to give Benfica an early lead they would never surrender.
- 46′, Ruben Amorim made two immediate changes at halftime, bringing on Christian Pulišić for Omari Hutchinson and Mario Gila for Filippo Terracciano, a signal that the first half had not gone to plan.
- 53′, Jakub Kamiński doubled Benfica’s lead, finishing from a Souffian El Karouani assist to put the game effectively beyond Milan’s reach.
- 57′, Amorim made two more changes, sending on Diego Moreira for Alphadjo Cissè and Alexis Saelemaekers for Davide Bartesaghi, but the tactical reshuffle produced little.
Tactical Breakdown
AC Milan dominated the surface statistics, finishing with 60 percent possession, 17 total shots and 10 corners, yet converted none of it into goals. Their expected goals figure of 0.96 suggests the chances were there in theory, but Anatoliy Trubin was equal to everything that tested him, making four saves. Benfica worked with far less of the ball, 40 percent possession and just 11 total shots, but their xG of 0.64 yielded two actual goals, a brutal illustration of finishing efficiency versus wastefulness.
Marco Silva’s 4-2-3-1 was built to frustrate and counter, and it worked precisely as intended in the first half. Jakub Kamiński operated between the lines with real freedom, contributing a goal and an assist before being withdrawn at the 80-minute mark. Souffian El Karouani, playing at left back, added an assist for the second goal despite picking up a yellow card in the first half. Amorim’s decision to start without several of his most experienced players, including Christian Pulišić, who only came on at halftime, drew pointed questions post-match: CBS Sports ran a headline asking ‘Does Pulisic need to start?’
Milan’s problems were clearest in the final third. Gonçalo Ramos, the lone striker, finished with a 5.9 rating and no meaningful contributions. The wing backs, operating in a 3-4-2-1, struggled to provide width against Benfica’s compact shape. By the time Amorim made all five substitutions, the deficit was already two goals and the urgency came too late.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
Benfica take three points from a ground where wins, according to fotmob.com, do not come often for visiting sides. For Milan, the opening result of their Europa League campaign is a sobering one, confirmed by Amorim himself who called his team absent for the first 45 minutes and said he was ready to adapt. The Rossoneri will need to find an answer quickly as the league stage progresses.
AC Milan
Benfica
Dodi Lukebakio