Fresh off their thrilling Super Cup victory, AC Milan are set to host Cagliari on Saturday night in Serie A, eager to build on the strong momentum under new coach Sergio Conceição.
The Rossoneri’s dramatic comeback in the Supercoppa Italiana saw them claim their eighth trophy in the competition, toppling their arch-rivals Inter Milan in Riyadh. Tammy Abraham’s late winner sealed a 3-2 victory, with earlier goals from Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic, and an electrifying second-half performance from substitute Rafael Leão.
In just over a week since taking charge, Conceição has already guided Milan to statement wins against Juventus and Inter, securing the club’s first silverware since their Scudetto triumph in 2022. Leão has praised the renewed energy under the Portuguese manager, who has wasted no time making an impact. During a fiery halftime talk against Juventus, Conceição reportedly smashed a screen to rally his players—an approach that seems to be working wonders.
Under previous coach Paulo Fonseca, Milan hadn’t managed a single comeback victory all season. Now, they’ve done it twice in a matter of days, reigniting hopes for a top-four finish.
Despite sitting eighth in the Serie A standings after a 1-1 draw with Roma, Milan have games in hand that could lift them back into Champions League contention. A win on Saturday would also make Conceição the first Milan manager since Arrigo Sacchi in 1987 to win his first three matches in charge.
For Cagliari, the odds at San Siro are daunting. The Sardinian side has lost 17 of their last 18 Serie A visits to Milan, conceding 46 goals and scoring just 11 in that time. They haven’t beaten the Rossoneri in their last 13 league meetings, though their 3-3 draw in Sardinia earlier this season showed flashes of resilience.
Last weekend, Cagliari earned a vital 2-1 win over Monza, thanks to goals from Nadir Zortea and Roberto Piccoli, who now has five for the season. That victory snapped a four-game losing streak and offered a much-needed boost for head coach Davide Nicola, known for steering teams away from relegation danger.
However, Cagliari haven’t won back-to-back league matches since March, and their dismal record at San Siro makes Saturday’s challenge seem almost insurmountable. While Nicola’s men will fight to defy expectations, Milan’s recent resurgence under Conceição suggests the Rossoneri are ready to keep rolling.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
After his game-changing cameo in Milan’s Super Cup triumph, Rafael Leão might be ready to make his first start under Sergio Conceição this weekend. Cagliari could be the perfect opponent for him to shine against, as he has already netted five league goals against them, including strikes in their last two meetings at San Siro.
Fikayo Tomori, who has worked his way back into the fold, now appears to be the first-choice center-back, while Mike Maignan has taken on the captaincy for the Rossoneri. However, Milan will still be without Samuel Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Alessandro Florenzi due to injuries, and Emerson Royal will miss out as he serves a suspension.
Cagliari, on the other hand, will be missing their dynamic forward Zito Luvumbo and experienced defender Yerry Mina, both sidelined with ankle injuries. Newly signed goalkeeper Elia Caprile, who arrived in a swap deal with Napoli for Simone Scuffet, might make his debut in goal.
In attack, Roberto Piccoli is expected to lead the line, supported by either Nicolas Viola or Gianluca Gaetano. Interestingly, Piccoli’s 18 Serie A goals have each come against different teams, but Milan has remained elusive, with the forward yet to score against them in 387 minutes of play.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Musah; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Morata
Cagliari possible starting lineup:
Caprile; Zappa, Palomino, Luperto, Obert; Zortea, Adopo, Makoumbou, Augello; Viola; Piccoli
EXPERT PREDICTION
AC Milan 3-1 Cagliari
Energized by the arrival of a new manager, Milan look poised to maintain their dominance over this weekend's visitors, even though they still have areas to improve.
Cagliari’s struggles defending set pieces have been glaring this season, with nearly half of their 32 league goals conceded—14 in total—coming from dead-ball situations. It’s a vulnerability Milan will undoubtedly aim to exploit.
