UEFA Europa League Matchday 1 Schedule: From European Heavyweights Clashing to Historic Moments, You Name It!

by Thobelani Moyo

image UEFA Europa League Matchday 1 Schedule: From European Heavyweights Clashing to Historic Moments, You Name It!
The 56th season of the UEFA Europa League is finally here, with Wednesday serving up nine tantalizing fixtures featuring 18 teams from across Europe, all aiming for one thing in the League Phase opener: victory. Some fixtures have caught our attention, with two historic heavyweights in European football battling it out at San Siro, and an English club making its first appearance in a European competition after five decades. Whatever the reason, these are teams that'll be aiming for a positive start.
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AC Milan vs Benfica: Two Historic European Heavyweights Aiming For Matchday One Glory

One of the marquee matchups in the Europa League this Wednesday sees two historic European heavyweights, as AC Milan and Benfica both aim to begin their European campaigns on a winning note. This may be their first-ever meeting in Europe's second-tier competition, but these two sides are no strangers to crossing paths in a UEFA competition.

Past performances have seen them face off in the UEFA Champions League just five times, and the Italian giants have the upper hand, going unbeaten in each of those encounters, including three wins. Notably, they've won three successive home games against this opponent, which could be another reason for optimism heading into this one.

AC Milan's last home match against Benfica in the UEFA Champions League was in September 2007, winning 2-1. One year later, head coach Ruben Amorim joined Benfica and spent most of his playing career there as a midfielder; he has yet again become a rival manager, this time at San Siro. This comes after his 4 and a half year stint with Sporting CP.

However, Benfica could prove a tough opponent to overcome, as explained in our AC Milan vs Benfica prediction, leading to a hard-fought draw for both sides. The Eagles have had a flawless start to the 2026-27 Liga Portugal campaign, going six games without defeat, winning their last five with a whopping 19 goals scored.

Leading their attack this season has been Vangelis Pavlidis, who has had a goal contribution in each of those encounters. In fact, he is the leading top goalscorer this season with eight goals and two assists. The Greek striker has also scored against Italian opposition in European competitions before — a 2-1 victory over Lazio in the ECL during his time with AZ Alkmaar and a 2-1 away win to Juventus in the UCL with his current club, Benfica. That's one name to watch out for this Wednesday.

Anderlecht vs Lyon: Home Comfort Meets European Away Woes, Who Will Be Tested?

head coach vitor bruno comforts ambros after a productive game

Anderlecht are back in European competition after failing to qualify for either competition last year. The Belgian club are back in the Europa League for the first time since the 2024-25 season, when they failed to reach the last 16 after a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Fenerbahce.

The Purple & White will be out to go one step further this time around and make their presence felt. Home advantage could be their lucky charm in achieving that feat. In this season alone, they've won each of their last three matches at Lotto Park, and their firepower was on full display, scoring exactly three goals in each.

Hopefully, that should be a confidence booster for Vitor Bruno's men, who have struggled to get decent results from French opposition in European competition, winning just one of their last nine matches (D4, L4). 

Could this underwhelming record be their demise in their opener against Lyon? Check out what our SportyTrader betting experts have to say in our Anderlecht vs Lyon prediction for more insights into the game.

For the French outfit, this is their fifth meeting against Anderlecht, and one thing that has been evident is their dominance, recording three wins and one loss in previous encounters. 

Notably, Lyon have won their last two European games against Anderlecht, securing convincing wins in the Champions League in which they scored a whopping eight goals.

Another match fact worth a look is their impressive record on matchday one fixtures of a major European competition. So far, they are unbeaten in 14 such outings, boasting eight wins and six draws. Despite this laudable record, there is a but regarding their away performance in European competitions.

Have a look at Lyon’s last five away results in major European competitions:

  • 18 August 2026 (UCL Qualifiers): Fenerbahce 1-1 Lyon
  • 04 August 2025 (UCL Qualifiers): Sparta Prague 2-1 Lyon
  • 12 March 2026 (UEL - League Phase): Celta Vigo 1-1 Lyon
  • 22 January 2026 (UEL - League Phase): Young Boys 0-1 Lyon
  • 27 November 2025 (UEL - League Phase): Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-6 Lyon

Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar: The Prodigal Son Has Returned After Five Decades Away

Who would have thought that a Sunderland side languishing in the lower echelons of English football just four years ago would be participating in a European competition?  Well, that has turned out to be a possibility as the Tyne and Wear outfit will get out of their comfort zone this Wednesday and go head-to-head with AZ Alkmaar on matchday one of the UEFA Europa League.

However, our SportyTrader betting experts expect the return of the prodigal son in Europe's second-tier competition to be tough, as explained in our Sunderland vs AZ Alkmaar prediction, since they face a Dutch side that has already established itself as a consistent European participant over the years.

It has been 53 years since the Black Cats last appeared in a European competition. There, they faced Sporting Lisbon in the second round of the European Cup Winners' Cup. Unfortunately, they found themselves eliminated after a 3-2 aggregate defeat. Fast forward to the present, they'll be hoping to make history in what will be their fifth game in European competition.

The entire Sunderland squad has the chance to make history in the club's return to a European competition as whoever scores first would mark the Black Cats' first goal in over 50 years!

AZ Alkmaar have made an impressive start to the 2026-27 Eredivisie season. In six games, the team has yet to suffer defeat, recording five wins and a solitary draw on Friday against Willem II. The Cheese Farmers will want to turn that commendable domestic form into European success.

Their away form in the Europa League has left much to be desired, as this is a side that has gone eight games without a win (D2, L6) since a 1-0 victory over Napoli in the 2020-21 campaign on matchday one. To make matters even worse for them, their record against English opposition on the road has been underwhelming, with 11 consecutive losses across four seasons. It's still to be seen whether they can stop the rot this Wednesday night under the bright lights of the Stadium of Light.