Milan’s return to Europe after an 18-month absence began with a defeat that exposed familiar questions rather than offering a fresh start. Benfica left San Siro with the result, while the Rossoneri recorded a third successive match without a win when the opposition demanded more.
SEO Title: Milan’s European Return Stumbles Against Benfica as Ramos Struggles
SEO Description: Milan lost their first European opener in five years against Benfica, with Gonçalo Ramos still searching for form ahead of Lecce and two difficult Europa League away trips.
Milan face early European questions after Benfica defeat
Quick facts
- Milan suffered their first loss of the season against Benfica at San Siro.
- Gonçalo Ramos has started all five matches this season and scored only once, against Venezia.
- Ruben Amorim is still awaiting his first European win in 2026 after two draws with Manchester United.
- Milan next face Lecce before the break, then travel to Salzburg and Bournemouth in the Europa League.
The defeat was Milan’s first in Europe on opening night for five years. It also ended an unbeaten run that had followed the damaging 2-1 loss to Cagliari, a match still remembered inside the club as a costly lapse.
Amorim came up against Benfica, a club central to his playing past, but his Milan never settled into the contest. Changes made around half-time, prompted by both the scoreline and the need for a reaction, did not alter the direction of the evening.
There was particular attention on Ramos, facing his former club. Three years ago, he completed a Champions League campaign with Benfica having scored seven goals before Inter stopped their run at San Siro.
This was a very different return to the stadium. Ramos could not provide Milan with a dependable reference point and, even with Christian Pulisic operating closer to him after the interval, the Portuguese forward struggled to influence the match.
His only goal in five starts came against newly promoted Venezia. Since then, he has gone three matches without scoring, leaving Milan with an immediate challenge: finding a way to make a forward with a major European record more effective within Amorim’s side.
Ramos arrived after winning the Champions League in each of his two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, yet his first European appearance for Milan did not carry that authority. A year earlier, he had scored for PSG against Atalanta in a European opener; against Benfica, he and Milan were subdued.
The first Benfica goal also placed the defensive selection under scrutiny. Bartesaghi had been preferred to Estupiñán, but his lack of concentration contributed to the breakthrough and put Milan on the back foot.
Hutchinson’s first Milan start became part of a difficult collective display rather than a landmark evening. The side looked disjointed and could not turn the match after falling behind.
Amorim’s own European record in 2026 remains without a victory. He drew twice in continental competition while in charge of Manchester United, and his last such win dates back to December.
Milan had previously taken their most recent European victory through Rafael Leão, another Portuguese figure in the squad. Benfica, however, showed that the return to continental football will not be eased simply by familiar names or individual pedigree.
Lecce arrive before the international break, giving Milan a domestic occasion to restore order. Then comes a demanding Europa League stretch: consecutive away fixtures against Salzburg and Bournemouth, leaving little time for the side to let this opening defeat linger.
