🏆 Europa League is BACK! Juve and Milan, your turn now: reboot here? 🤔

🏆 Europa League is BACK! Juve and Milan, your turn now: reboot here? 🤔 New stars, new teams, and maybe—who knows—even an outsider breaking the dominance of England and Spain. The curtain rises on the Europa League , which this year will feature two giants of our league such as Juve and Milan , among the most prestigious names in the competition. Together, the Italian duo boast a total of 15 European trophies . Watch the entire Serie BKT live with LaB Channel on OneFootball: subscribe for just €9.99 per month! This Europa League is radically different from the old group-stage format : no more separate groups, but a single table in which all 36 participating teams face eight different opponents , four at home and four away. Milan and Juve, both placed in Pot 1, start at home. For the Rossoneri, the first obstacle is Benfica , a clash packed with history and emotion. Juventus, meanwhile, face NEC , with Spalletti’s side needing to quickly turn expectations into results after their missteps in the league, including the stoppage-time defeat against Sassuolo suffered in the last round. It may not be the Champions League, true, but Milan and Juve cannot and must not look down on the Europa League , heir to the UEFA Cup. Backing the expectations around the Italian sides is also one fact: along with Benfica and Marseille, they are the only teams in the competition to have already won the Champions League. 🔙 Milan, Europe is a golden opportunity Milan return to Europe 575 days after their last appearance , when they were knocked out in the Champions League playoffs by Feyenoord under Sergio Conceição, who had taken over after Fonseca’s dismissal. Today this is a different Milan, not only because the squad has been strengthened by several summer signings, but also because of the coach and playing style. Ruben Amorim is trying to shape the Rossoneri according to his footballing ideas, even if the work has only just begun (and will take time). 📸 Marco Luzzani - 2026 Getty Images The Europa League will be a great chance for Amorim to develop and give minutes to young players , whom he himself has backed and relaunched since the start of the season. Think of Cisse , for example, almost always a starter in the attacking midfield role after Rafa Leao’s departure, or Diego Moreira , whose brace earned Milan a draw against Lazio after a nightmare first half. Or even Hutchinson , who tonight is heading toward a starting spot. But the Europa League must not be just a laboratory. Milan have to try to build an ambitious campaign , first of all by getting through the opening phase and then going as far as possible. The final prize would carry double value: besides the trophy, victory would also secure a place in next season’s Champions League. There is also a third aspect, perhaps even more important with the league in mind: truly testing Amorim’s football . Serie A often offers tighter matches and less space. In Europe, against opponents with different characteristics and approaches, Milan may have more chances to test their attacking mechanisms and the team’s ability to exploit open spaces, exactly the way Amorim likes it. ⚡️ Juve, Spalletti looking for a spark in Europe One cup, three objectives. For Juventus, the Europa League is an opportunity to seize: it can mean Champions League qualification, it can restore confidence to those who need it, and above all it can bring a European trophy back to Turin. The first objective is clear: keep progressing, get through the playoffs if needed, and try to reach the final . As with Milan, there is a shortcut to the Champions League, and it runs through this competition. All the more reason not to treat it like a second-rate cup. 📸 Emmanuele Ciancaglini - 2026 Getty Images Then there is Kolo Muani . Signed—rather, re-signed—in the summer from PSG, the French striker desperately needs to rediscover his confidence. Juventus’ number 9 has endured a far-from-simple start to the season, with 0 goals and just one assist in four matches. Those numbers reflect a difficult moment, to the point that he has already become one of the real major problems for this Juve side despite the faith shown in him by Spalletti. Against NEC— most likely partnered from the start with the giant Woltemade —he will try to spark both the team and himself into life. Finally, history. Juventus have not lifted a European trophy since 1996. Far too long for a club used to considering Europe its natural home. That brings us to the third reason: finally winning their first continental trophy of the 2000s. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.