AC Milan 0–2 Benfica: Why Benfica Punished Milan’s Mistakes
AC Milan had chances.
They had spells of good passing.
They won corners, tested the Benfica defence and created opportunities around the penalty area.
But when the decisive moments arrived, Benfica were simply more effective.
Dodi Lukebakio gave Benfica the lead in the 16th minute with a brilliant strike from outside the box.
Jakub Kaminski doubled the advantage early in the second half.
From there, Milan pushed forward, but Benfica's defence and goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin repeatedly stood in the way.
So, why did AC Milan lose 2–0 despite creating enough opportunities to make the game much closer?
Welcome to MatchWhy, where we don't just tell you the score we explain why the match was won or lost.
Milan Started With the Ball — Benfica Started With the Threat
AC Milan had some promising moments during the opening stages.
They moved the ball around well and tried to build attacks through the wide areas and around the edge of the Benfica penalty area.
But Benfica were dangerous whenever they recovered possession.
In the fifth minute, Jhon Durán got a shot away inside the box, but an AC Milan defender made an important block.
A minute later, Benfica won another corner.
The visitors were already showing that they could create danger without needing long periods of possession.
Then came the opening goal.
16' — Lukebakio Gives Benfica the Lead
Dodi Lukebakio received the ball just outside the penalty area.
He didn't hesitate.
He unleashed a powerful shot that flew past the goalkeeper and into the bottom-left corner.
AC Milan 0–1 Benfica.
It was an excellent finish, but the bigger significance was what it did to the match.
Milan now had to chase the game.
Benfica could defend their advantage and look for opportunities to attack the spaces Milan left behind.
That changed the tactical situation.
Milan Tried to Respond
AC Milan didn't collapse after conceding.
In fact, they continued to create chances.
Omari Hutchinson tested Anatoliy Trubin in the 21st minute.
Then, in the 28th minute, Filippo Terracciano produced one of Milan's best efforts of the first half.
He created space and fired towards the underside of the crossbar.
Trubin reacted superbly.
That save mattered.
Because Milan were beginning to build pressure.
28' — Trubin Keeps Benfica Ahead
Terracciano's effort was heading towards a dangerous area of the goal.
Trubin made the save and kept Benfica's lead intact.
This became a recurring theme throughout the match:
Milan created opportunities. Trubin prevented them from becoming goals.
Benfica's Defensive Structure Was Working
Milan were able to get into attacking positions, but Benfica consistently managed to put a defender between the ball and goal.
Crosses were cleared.
Passing lanes were blocked.
Shots were stopped.
When Milan attempted to play through the middle, Benfica's defensive players were ready to close the space.
Even when Milan won corners, Benfica generally dealt with the deliveries.
That prevented Milan from turning their territorial pressure into a goal.
Milan Had a Penalty Appeal — But Nothing Came Of It
In the 39th minute, Strahinja Pavlovic went down under a challenge inside the penalty area.
Milan appealed strongly for a penalty.
The referee wasn't interested.
Play continued.
It was another frustrating moment for Milan, who were trying to find a way back into the match.
But Benfica went into half-time still leading 1–0.
The Second Half Changed Everything
Milan needed to score early after the break.
Instead, Benfica scored again.
53' — Kaminski Makes It 2–0
Souffian El Karouani played the ball through to Jakub Kaminski inside the box.
Kaminski reacted quickly.
He drilled the ball into the roof of the net.
AC Milan 0–2 Benfica.
That was the turning point.
Milan now needed two goals instead of one.
And Benfica had exactly the type of game they wanted.
They could defend deeper, absorb pressure and attack when opportunities appeared.
Milan Made Changes to Increase the Pressure
Ruben Amorim reacted immediately.
At half-time, Mario Gila replaced Filippo Terracciano, while Christian Pulisic came on for Omari Hutchinson.
Later, Diego Moreira and Alexis Saelemaekers were introduced.
Adrien Rabiot also entered the game in the 73rd minute.
The objective was obvious:
More attacking quality. More pressure. More chances.
And Milan did create them.
But Benfica kept surviving.
Trubin Became the Wall
The Benfica goalkeeper was one of the most important players on the pitch.
Christian Pulisic tested him from distance in the 81st minute.
Trubin was alert and made the save.
Milan then won another corner.
They continued sending players forward.
But Benfica's goalkeeper and defenders kept preventing the final breakthrough.
Even when Trubin appeared to have picked up an injury in the 63rd minute, he was able to continue.
That allowed Benfica to maintain their defensive organisation.
Milan's Biggest Problem: They Couldn't Finish
This was the central story of the match.
Milan weren't completely shut out of the game.
They had opportunities.
Koni De Winter came close in the 51st minute.
Pulisic had a shot saved.
Rabiot sent a header over the bar.
Rabiot also came extremely close with a long-range effort in the 75th minute.
Gonçalo Ramos headed narrowly wide in the 82nd minute.
Those are the moments that could have changed the match.
But none of them became goals.
And against a team already two goals ahead, missed chances become increasingly expensive.
Benfica Managed the Final Stages
Once Benfica established the 2–0 advantage, their priorities changed.
They didn't need to take unnecessary risks.
Instead, they focused on defending the lead.
Milan kept attacking.
Corners came.
Shots were blocked.
Crosses were cleared.
Benfica continued to close down the dangerous areas.
The visitors also made substitutions to maintain energy and defensive stability.
As the match entered stoppage time, Milan were still searching for a goal.
But Benfica remained organised.
MatchWhy Tactical Sketch
BENFICA GOAL
↑
○ ○ ○ ○
BENFICA DEFENCE
↓ ↓ ↓
─────────────────
●
MILAN ATTACK
↗ ↑ ↖
● ● ●
MILAN PRESSURE
↓
BENFICA COUNTER
↗
GOAL
The tactical story was simple:
Milan pushed forward. Benfica defended the important spaces and punished them when they had the chance.
Why Benfica Won
Three things ultimately decided the match.
1. Benfica were clinical
Lukebakio needed only one major opportunity to produce an excellent finish.
Kaminski then made Milan pay again in the second half.
Two important chances.
Two goals.
2. Trubin protected the lead
Milan had enough opportunities to score.
Trubin repeatedly stopped them.
His save from Terracciano was particularly important in the first half, while his later stop from Pulisic prevented Milan from gaining momentum.
3. Milan couldn't turn pressure into goals
Milan created chances but lacked the final touch.
Their attacks frequently ended with blocked shots, missed headers, inaccurate efforts or saves from Trubin.
That made Benfica's job much easier.
The Difference Between the Two Teams
The match can be summarised very simply.
AC Milan:
- Created several opportunities.
- Had multiple efforts blocked.
- Tested Trubin.
- Won corners and applied pressure.
- Couldn't convert.
Benfica:
- Took their important chances.
- Defended their penalty area well.
- Got excellent goalkeeping from Trubin.
- Scored at key moments.
- Managed the game after going 2–0 ahead.
That is why the score finished 0–2.
Final Takeaway
AC Milan's defeat wasn't simply about a lack of attacking effort.
They created enough moments to make the match competitive.
The problem was what happened at both ends of the pitch.
Benfica were more ruthless when their chances arrived, while Anatoliy Trubin protected the advantage whenever Milan threatened.
Dodi Lukebakio's 16th-minute strike gave Benfica control.
Jakub Kaminski's 53rd-minute finish made the task much harder.
After that, Milan had to attack.
Benfica had to defend.
And Benfica did enough to protect the clean sheet.
The final score:
AC Milan 0–2 Benfica.
Milan had pressure.
Benfica had efficiency.
And in the decisive moments, that was the difference.
MatchWhy — We don't just tell you the score. We explain why.
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