A tactical gamble gone spectacularly wrong: AC Milan's Europa League dreams hit an immediate roadblock, leaving manager Ruben Amorim under intense scrutiny after a shocking 2-0 home defeat to Benfica. This isn't just a loss; it's a blaring alarm for the Rossoneri.
Key Takeaways from San Siro:
- AC Milan suffered a 2-0 home loss to Benfica in their Europa League opener.
- Manager Ruben Amorim's significant squad rotation spectacularly backfired.
- Benfica secured their first-ever victory against Milan, ending a six-game winless streak.
- Milan's attacking struggles continue, failing to score in the first half for the fifth time this season.
San Siro Stunned: Amorim's Risky Roll of the Dice
AC Milan's Europa League campaign began in the worst possible way, collapsing to a 2-0 defeat against a clinical Benfica side at San Siro. The loss immediately puts manager Ruben Amorim under significant pressure. His decision to heavily rotate the squad backfired dramatically, inviting questions about his tactical approach.
Following frustrating draws in Serie A against Juventus and Lazio, Amorim made sweeping changes. Omari Hutchinson and Filippo Terracciano earned their first starts of the season, alongside a revamped defense featuring Davide Bartesaghi. These adjustments, however, disrupted any semblance of cohesion, leaving the Rossoneri looking disjointed and sluggish from the first whistle.
Benfica Breaks the Curse with Clinical Edge
This wasn't just any victory for Benfica; it was a historic triumph. The Portuguese giants had never beaten AC Milan in six previous encounters, a run that included two painful European Cup Final defeats in 1963 and 1990. Their dominant performance at San Siro shattered that long-standing hoodoo, proving their pedigree.
The visitors seized control early. Dodi Lukebakio opened the scoring with a superb left-footed curling effort into the bottom corner, assisted by a clever pass from Jakub Kaminski. Despite a flying save from Anatoliy Trubin denying a long-range Terracciano screamer, Milan's toothless attack offered little genuine threat. Kaminski then sealed the 2-0 victory in the second half, firing into the roof of the net after an intelligent pull-back from El Karouani, brutally punishing another glaring defensive lapse from the hosts.
Rossoneri's Home Woes Deepen
The statistics paint a grim picture for Milan. Since last April, the club has now lost four of their six home matches across all competitions, conceding at least two goals in each of those disappointing defeats. This troubling trend highlights a deep-seated vulnerability at San Siro that needs urgent attention from the coaching staff.
Tactical Tangle: Milan's Attacking Puzzle Persists
Amorim now faces an immediate tactical crisis, particularly concerning his team's significant attacking struggles. This disappointing result marks the fifth time under his management that Milan has failed to find the back of the net in the first half of a match, pointing to a fundamental issue in their offensive setup.
Bizarrely, almost all of Milan's goals this season have arrived in a frantic five-minute window between the 64th and 69th minutes. Even the introduction of key players like Christian Pulisic, who forced a late save from Trubin, couldn't break this strange scoring pattern or salvage a point. The pressure is mounting on Amorim to find a potent formula and prevent this early-season stumble from spiraling into a full-blown crisis at San Siro as domestic duties loom large.
