AC Milan Vs Benfica [0-2] Europa League 2026/2027: How Marco Silva Tactics Exposed Rúben Amorim Defensive Problems - Tactical Analysis

AC Milan welcomed Benfica for their 2026/2027 UEFA Europa League opener, and the match ended with a disappointing 0-2 loss for the hosts at San Siro.

It was a match that saw Benfica take the lead early on and confirm their opportunistic wing-based attacking performance with another goal in the second half, showing that they are not a side to be underestimated in this competition.

This important away win will help Marco Silva’s side continue this phase of the competition with confidence, as they have shown that they can beat any team in the UEFA Europa League, after beating a team like Milan in their own stadium.

On the other hand, Milan suffered from a painful loss following two draws in the league, putting Rúben Amorim under pressure early in the campaign.

Critics already blame Amorim for the loss, the recurring defensive errors, and the unconvincing attacking performance, too, as this loss was unexpected for many.

In this tactical analysis piece, we explore Milan’s defensive issues, continuous errors, and how they failed to resist Benfica’s wide threats.

AC Milan Vs Benfica Lineups & Formations

AC Milan Lineup Vs Benfica

Amorim relied on his usual 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mike Maignan as goalkeeper, Filippo Terracciano, Koni De Winter, and Strahinja Pavlović as centre-backs, with Samuel Chukwueze and Davide Bartesaghi as wing-backs.

The midfield was made up of Ardon Jashari and Yunus Musah played as central midfielders, with Alphadjo Cisse and Omari Hutchinson as wingers, in support of the striker Gonçalo Ramos.

Benfica Lineup Vs Milan

On the other side, Silva used a 4-2-3-1 formation with Anatoliy Trubin in goal, and a defensive line made up of Daniel Banjaqui at right-back, Alessandro Circati and Tomás Araújo as centre-backs, and Souffian El Karouani at left-back.

The midfield was made up of Fredrik Aursnes and João Palhinha as central midfielders, with Georgiy Sudakov as the advanced playmaker, Dodi Lukebakio and Jakub Kamiński as wingers, and Jhon Durán as the striker.

AC Milan Player Rotation Consequences & Individual High-Pressing Errors

Milan did not start the match well enough, as it was obvious that their starting lineup included players who are not used to Amorim’s system yet.

In particular, both Terracciano and Hutchinson made some errors that helped the visitors gain more confidence in the initial minutes.

Instead of putting pressure on Benfica from the get-go since Milan were playing at home, I Rossoneri played passively and were very slow in the build-up from the back, allowing their opponent to benefit from that and exploit the errors and spaces left by Milan players.

Terracciano’s recurring passing accuracy errors helped Benfica win counterattacking situations on more than one occasion and eventually threatened Maignan too.

Additionally, Hutchinson’s individual pressing efforts allowed Benfica to exploit their left flank well, as Hutchinson’s advancing to press high on the defender made Benfica’s left-back and left midfielder completely unmarked in the following situation.

This lack of understanding in high pressing and the badly timed initiative of Hutchinson could have resulted in a goal conceded to Benfica.

It also highlights the errors Amorim made in terms of his starting XI, even if the objective was to rest some players for the upcoming Serie A match.

Since Amorim wanted to rotate in this match, it was necessary to work with the new players extensively on the collective movements, the high-press timings, what to avoid when passing, and the collective defensive movements.

The performances of some of these players show that they have not really got accustomed to what they must avoid and are not yet used to the team’s new system at all.

These negatives helped Benfica use their strengths to disturb Milan, progressively relying on quick short passing and intelligent movement without the ball that highlight the existing chemistry between their midfield and attacking players.