Milan – Benfica

The opponents are equally successful in their offensive actions.

Bookmakers this season did not find among the participants in the Europa League group stage the teams led by Unai Emery, so they were somewhat puzzled when choosing a favorite. It is very unusual that the main contenders in this edition of the second-most prestigious European tournament are two Italian clubs: Juventus and Milan. Undoubtedly, these are clubs with a great history, but it has been a long time since representatives of Serie A have been at the top in European football. Milan last year was plagued by internal clashes, which also affected the team's play. The Rossoneri finished fifth, which allowed them to reach only the Europa League, despite ambitions to reach the Champions League. Failing to achieve the targets led to changes in the coaching post, where Ruben Amorim was appointed. The Portuguese specialist failed to meet expectations in Manchester, but gained valuable experience there. Changes also occurred in Milan's squad, which lost Rafael Leao, Alex Himenes, Kristoffer Nkunku and a few more lesser-known players. To replace them came Gonzalo Ramos, Mario Hila, and Diego Moreira, for whom in total an incredible by Italian standards 154 million euros was paid. At the start of the season the team did not show the best results, but there is nothing to criticize yet. Wins over Torino and Venezia were followed by draws with Juventus and Lazio. Benfica last season competed in the Champions League, but in the Portuguese championship finished only third. Not only did that allow the team to participate in the Europa League, but it also led to the need to fight through three qualifying rounds to reach the group stage. In those rounds the Eagles eliminated St. Gallen, Hearts and Aarhus, without facing serious resistance. After nine years in England, Benfica appointed Marco Silva as head coach. The Lisbon club carried out a transfer campaign, which traditionally yielded money. Among the inbound transfers, note Georgy Sudakov from Shakhtar, Joao Palinho from Bayern, and Jakub Kaminski from Koln. Benfica won four league matches in a row, and they will certainly not arrive in Milan as tourists.