Europa League kicks off today .. Milan and Benfica showdown takes center stage

However, this will be their first meeting since 2007.

Milan came back from a two-goal deficit in the first half to secure a 2-2 draw against Lazio last weekend, a result that allowed them to maintain their unbeaten record in the Italian League this season (2 wins and 2 draws), ahead of their return to European competition after a one-season absence.

The club will participate in the Europa League instead of the UEFA Champions League, a competition it has won seven times, following an exciting final round of last season.

Their new Portuguese coach, Rúben Amorim, has extensive experience in this tournament, having led Sporting to the round of 16 in the 2023-2024 season, and then England's Manchester United to the final in the 2024-2025 season.

Kicking off their campaign at home could be the ideal way to start their pursuit of the title with a positive result, especially since Milan has not lost in its last four European matches played at the San Siro (3 wins and 1 draw).

On the other hand, Benfica defeated Gil Vicente 3-1 last weekend, achieving their seventh consecutive victory in all competitions.

This streak includes a 6-2 aggregate win over Denmark's Aarhus in the play-offs for Europe's secondary club competition, and also raised the team's number of wins to four in their last five qualifying matches this season (1 draw).

Having started their campaign from the second qualifying round, Marco Silva's side booked their place in the new-look league phase of the Europa League.

The "Eagles" head into this journey having won their last four away matches, but their mixed away record during European qualifiers (1 win, 1 draw, and 1 defeat) suggests the task in Milan may not be easy for the Portuguese side.

Milan is counting on their newly arrived Portuguese striker from France's Paris Saint-Germain, Gonçalo Ramos, who will be eyeing his sixteenth goal in UEFA competitions, noting that eight of his previous 15 goals came in a Benfica shirt.

As for Rafa Silva, he could spoil the atmosphere of his return to his former stadium with a strong start, having scored three of his last four goals this season within the first 15 minutes of matches, giving Benfica the lead or extending their advantage.

Juventus is uncharacteristically struggling

After reaching the Champions League knockout round play-offs in the past two seasons, the Italian giants turn their focus to Europe's second most prestigious competition, hoping to claim their first major European trophy since 1996.

Juventus clashes with visiting Dutch side NEC Nijmegen at the "Allianz Stadium" in the opening fixture for both teams, as the hosts look to bounce back following a weekend league defeat, while the visitors seek to overcome a dip in form.

Juventus enters the European group stage with the ambition of responding quickly to their first defeat of this season, which came on Sunday against Sassuolo (2-3).

That loss left Luciano Spalletti's side, whose ranks are plagued by several injuries most notably captain Manuel Locatelli and US international Weston McKennie, with an erratic domestic league record (2 wins, 1 draw, and 1 defeat).

Despite this, the team's home performance remains strong following a 2-0 win over Parma and a 1-1 draw with Milan.

Spalletti hopes his team will start strongly at home, where Juventus has won all of its last three European matches.

For their part, NEC Nijmegen returns to major European competition for the first time since the 2008-2009 season, but expects a tough test in Turin.

The Dutch club is participating in the Europa League after a disappointing elimination in the second qualifying round of the Champions League against Bodø/Glimt, and they have also achieved only one win in their last six official matches.

In other prominent matches, Belgium's Anderlecht faces France's Lyon, Germany's Bayer Leverkusen meets Slovenia's Celie, while French Ligue 1 leaders Rennes are guests of Austria's Sturm Graz, and their compatriots Marseille visit Turkey's Beşiktaş.

English presence is felt

Sunderland plays its first European match at the "Stadium of Light" on Wednesday in the club's first continental appearance in 53 years, marking a new milestone in an extraordinary recovery journey for a club that spent decades in a spiral of decline.

Just over four years ago, the "Black Cats" were languishing in English football's third tier (League One).

However, the team was promoted to the second tier (Championship) in 2022, and then returned to the Premier League via the play-offs in

May 2025, before pulling off a surprise by finishing seventh in their first season back in the top flight.

The North East England club has a rich history, with only six clubs surpassing them in the number of English top-flight titles, though their sixth and final title dates back to 1936.

Sunderland was synonymous with glamour in the 1950s, to the extent that it was dubbed the "Bank of England club" due to its lavish spending.

However, the club did not reap much reward for that expenditure, and its last major triumph came in 1973 when it defeated Leeds United in the FA Cup final.

Despite long years of stagnation, the club located about 12 miles (19 km) from its fierce rival Newcastle United remained among the best-supported in England, drawing over 30,000 spectators even when playing in the third tier.

Now, the 49,000-capacity Stadium of Light, opened in 1997, is hosting Premier League matches once again and preparing to welcome European football for the first time.

This European journey is a great reward for Swiss-French Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, son of the late Marseille owner and billionaire Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who bought a stake in the club in 2021 and has since increased his ownership percentage.

Furthermore, the appointment of Régis Le Bris as the team's manager in June 2024 proved to be a very successful decision, as the Frenchman returned the club to the Premier League at the first attempt, before the team defied all expectations last season.

Sunderland, led by their inspiring captain, Swiss international Granit Xhaka, is preparing to face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar after a shaky start to the season.

Le Bris told TNT Sports: "It's a symbol for the club. We are improving, the momentum is huge, and frankly it's going to be a crazy experience for our fans."

He added: "We are very proud to be in this position. We deserve this opportunity thanks to a fantastic season last year. We went through difficult moments, but in the end we maintained our consistency."

He continued: "It's important to show our desire, and to show the city our unity, togetherness, and relationship with our fans."

Sunderland's joy

For Sunderland fans, recent years have felt like an incredible journey.

Michael Love wrote on the "Wise Men Say" website: "Supporting Sunderland has shifted from a heavy chore that you cursed your geographical bad luck or your parents' choices for, to something that brings joy to people's lives for the first time in generations."

He added: "Usually, the higher you climb in the competitive hierarchy, the more hollow and soulless the experience becomes, and the wider the gap between fans and players grows."

He continued: "Régis Le Bris loves using the word 'togetherness' in his press conferences, and I cannot remember the last time the city, players, fans, and club felt this level of togetherness."

Joining Sunderland in the Europa League this season is Bournemouth, which is competing in continental matches for the first time in its history.

Spaniard Andoni Iraola led the South Coast club to sixth place last season, but later left to manage Liverpool and was succeeded by German Marco Rose.

Bournemouth will travel to Spain to face Real Sociedad on Thursday, having not yet won a match in the Premier League this season despite taking the lead in all four of their games, as they have begun to suffer from a habit of conceding late goals.

The third English club participating in the competition is Crystal Palace, which qualified thanks to winning the UEFA Conference League title last season.

Premier League clubs have dominated this competition in recent years thanks to their huge financial resources, with Aston Villa and Tottenham winning the Europa League titles in the past two seasons.

However, this time the lesser-known English trio could help balance the scales against some of Europe's biggest clubs, such as Italy's AC Milan and Juventus, and Portugal's Benfica.