Benfica stuns Milan in San Siro, Cyprus champions Omonia shock Celta Vigo

The new UEFA Europa League season kicked off on Tuesday, September 16, with several matches played, though none drew more attention than the clash between Italy's AC Milan and Portugal's Benfica in Milan.

Benfica surprises the hosts

The visitors from Lisbon took an early lead after a swift counterattack down the left flank following a defensive interception. Dodi Lukebakio worked his way into a shooting position and struck precisely into the far corner to make it 1-0. Milan nearly gifted their opponents a second goal shortly after, when Georgiy Sudakov intercepted a loose ball near the penalty area and fired dangerously toward the corner, only for it to strike the post.

The first half was tense, with the referee forced to issue three yellow cards to keep tempers in check. Milan's coach made two changes on the right flank right after the break, but the substitutions backfired. In the 53rd minute, following a blocked shot, the ball fell to Soufiane El Karouani, who set up Jakub Kaminski. The Poland international finished first-time under the crossbar to double Benfica's lead, scoring his first goal for the Portuguese club.

Milan pushed for a way back in front of their home crowd, dominating possession (66%-34%) and registering ten shots, two of them on target, along with five corners. Konrad de Wintere came close in the 51st minute, narrowly missing the near post, while Christian Pulisic later failed to beat Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin from close range. Benfica held on for a 2-0 win, marking Milan's first defeat of the season and giving the Portuguese side three points to open their campaign.

Cyprus champions upset Celta

The biggest surprise of the evening came from Cyprus champions Omonia, who beat Spain's Celta Vigo 1-0. Jure Balkovec scored the only goal of the match in the 88th minute, securing a crucial opening win.

Both Benfica and Omonia will meet in the knockout phase in mid-October, with Benfica also set to face Scotland's Celtic. Milan will look for their first points of the campaign away to Austria's Red Bull Salzburg on October 15. The Europa League group stage continues on Wednesday with nine more fixtures.