Just days after their dramatic Serie A comeback against Lazio, Rúben Amorim’s side found themselves staring into defeat once again, only this time, Benfica made sure they stayed there.

The Rossoneri produced an alarmingly poor display at the San Siro, falling to a 2-0 defeat in their Europa League opener and offering little to suggest they had a way back into the match.

Benfica, by contrast, were sharper, more direct, and far more comfortable as the game developed.

They struck first in the 16th minute through Dodi Lukébakio, who collected the ball on the right, cut inside, and curled a superb finish into the far corner, leaving Mike Maignan with no chance.

From that point on, Benfica happily retreated into a compact mid-block and waited for Milan to find solutions, which the hosts rarely did.

The Portuguese side even came close to doubling their advantage when Heorhiy Sudakov hit the post from a similar position.

His teammate, Jakub Kamiński, proved more precise early in the second half, turning in a low cross to make it 2-0.

Milan threw bodies forward during the final half-hour, but their attacking play descended into chaos.

Christian Pulisic tested Anatoliy Trubin twice off the bench, yet the Benfica keeper remained composed whenever called upon.

There were no real bright spots in an otherwise grey night for Amorim. Perhaps the most disappointing figure was Gonçalo Ramos, facing the club he once called home.

The Portuguese striker was so ineffective that it often felt as though Milan were playing with ten men, a stark indictment for the most expensive signing in the club’s history.

The loss also adds to a worrying trend at home, marking Milan’s fourth defeat at the San Siro in their last six home matches, having conceded at least twice in each of those losses.