AC Milan go to Red Bull Salzburg with the stakes already raised by a 2-0 home defeat to Benfica on matchday 1. Kick-off is at 18.45 CEST at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg. Francesco Camarda makes his first start of the season and his first start in Europe in his career, while Milan have also rotated with Adrien Rabiot, Omari Hutchinson and Fikayo Tomori in the picture.

Milan's early pressure

Milan sit 30th in the 2026 UEFA Europa League standings with 0 points after one match. That is the simplest reason this trip already feels more loaded than a normal group-stage night. The opener against Benfica was not short on territory, either. Milan posted 40 touches in the opposition box, but the end result still left them empty-handed.

The opening defeat also carries a harsh historical edge. Opta, quoted by Sky Sport Italia in comments translated from Italian, said: "For the first time in history, four Italian teams lost in the same Champions League round." That is not Milan-specific, but it adds to the mood around an Italian start that has already gone wrong.

Salzburg's edge at home

Red Bull Salzburg have opened the competition much better. They are 14th with 3 points after one match, having beaten Levski Sofia 1-0 on the opening matchday. Across their five UEFA games this season, Salzburg are unbeaten with four wins and one draw, and they have kept three consecutive clean sheets.

That run makes the home side the steadier team entering Red Bull Salzburg vs AC Milan. Milan still have history on their side in the matchup, with Salzburg having never beaten them in four previous meetings in major European competitions. Milan have also won nine of 13 matches against Austrian teams in major European competitions.

The selection itself is the other headline. football-italia.net's preview desk put it plainly: "Milan rotate in the Europa League for a trip to RB Salzburg with Francesco Camarda, Adrien Rabiot and Omari Hutchinson, as the pressure is already on." The interesting part is not just the rotation, but where it lands. Camarda gets a first start that arrives because Milan need answers quickly, not because the game has eased up for them.

A loss here would leave Milan staring at a very awkward start to the league phase. The immediate target is more basic than that, though, getting a first result and avoiding an opening stretch that gets even harder to manage after 18.45 CEST in Salzburg.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →