Four days after beating Inter 3-1 in a derby that briefly steadied the ship domestically, AC Milan face a very different kind of problem in European competition. Ruben Amorim’s side has taken just three points from three Europa League matches this season, sitting 24th in the league stage table, one rung above the cutoff that separates playoff progression from elimination. Thursday’s home game against Ferencvarosi TC, who arrive on nine points and unbeaten after three outings, is not the fixture Milan would have drawn up at this stage.
What’s at stake
The Europa League league stage sends the top 24 of 36 teams into the knockout playoffs, with the top eight progressing directly to the round of 16. Milan are currently 24th, on three points from three played, the absolute last team inside the qualifying zone. Ferencvarosi TC sit fourth on nine points, level with Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth at the top. A win for the Hungarian side would almost certainly push Milan out of the top 24 and into a situation where they would need a strong finish to the remaining three matchdays just to remain in the competition.
For Milan, three points here would move them to six and push them meaningfully clear of the teams ranked 25th and below who are currently level on points but without a qualifying description. For Ferencvarosi, a win would consolidate their place among the elite eight who go straight to the last 16, though that bracket is tight enough that their position is not guaranteed. A slip against Milan could see them slide toward the 1/16 playoff route instead.
How they got here
Milan’s last five results tell a patchy story: a 3-1 win over Inter, a 2-4 home loss to Bologna, a 2-0 away win at Udinese, a 0-3 defeat to Bournemouth in the Europa League, and a 3-2 home win over Atalanta. That 0-3 loss to Bournemouth in matchday three of this competition is the Europa League low point Amorim’s team is trying to recover from. Ferencvarosi, by contrast, have not lost in five: wins over Paks (2-0), Bicskei in the Magyar Kupa (4-1), MTK Budapest (5-0), Torreense in the Europa League (4-1), and a draw at Kisvarda (1-1) before that. In Europe specifically, their 4-1 win over Torreense last matchday was their third consecutive win in the competition.
In the Europa League table, Milan are 24th with three points (one win, two losses) and a goal difference of minus one. Ferencvarosi are fourth with nine points from three wins, scoring nine and conceding three. The gap between the two sides in this competition is six points, and Thursday marks just their fourth matchday of eight total.
Key battle to watch
Both teams have a player among the Europa League’s top scorers this season: A. Cisse has three goals for Milan, while K. Zachariassen has three for Ferencvarosi. The duel in the middle of the pitch between Milan’s midfield, which will likely feature Ruben Amorim leaning on the creativity of players like Ruud Loftus-Cheek and Adrien Rabiot, and Ferencvarosi’s compact, counter-pressing structure will determine the tempo. Ferencvarosi have shown against Torreense that they can punish disorganized defensive lines on the break, and Milan’s back line has conceded five Europa League goals in two appearances in this campaign. If Milan’s defense is as open as it was against Bournemouth, Zachariassen and the Ferencvarosi attack will have chances to exploit it.
Key Stats
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Our Prediction
Milan arrive with domestic momentum from that derby win over Inter, but their Europa League form has been poor and Ferencvarosi are arguably the more cohesive side in this competition right now. Amorim will need a disciplined defensive display to have any chance, and even then, the Hungarians’ confidence after three straight European wins is hard to dismiss. A close match seems likely, with the visitors capable of taking something from San Siro.