After their stunning 3-1 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League, AC Milan shift their focus back to Serie A on Saturday, as they head south to take on Cagliari.
While Milan put their domestic struggles behind them to secure a famous European victory, Cagliari are in freefall, having lost three straight games and slipping down the table.
Milan’s surprise victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on Wednesday was a huge boost for their Champions League campaign. The win not only revived their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages but also ended Madrid’s 15-game unbeaten streak at home in Europe. Goals from Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata, and Tijjani Reijnders sealed the victory, with a reinvigorated Rafael Leão involved in all three goals.
Milan’s manager, Paulo Fonseca, will be relieved after outsmarting his former coach, Carlo Ancelotti, easing some of the pressure on his shoulders. This win lifted Milan level on points with Real Madrid in the group standings, though it was just their second win in Europe this season, following defeats to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen.
With their remaining group fixtures against Slovan Bratislava, Red Star Belgrade, Girona, and Dinamo Zagreb, Milan are well-placed to secure a playoff spot. Fonseca will be keen to maintain the momentum in their final game before the international break.
In Serie A, Milan’s 1-0 win over Monza last week took them to 17 points, but they remain in seventh place, eight points behind Napoli at the top. Now, they’ll aim for a fifth clean sheet in eight away games as they visit Sardinia, where they’ve scored in each of their last 13 league trips.
Cagliari come into this match on a rough run. They’ve only beaten Milan once in their last 39 top-flight meetings, and that victory was back in May 2017. The Rossoblu have lost eight of their last nine encounters with Milan, scoring just three goals in that stretch, so the odds are stacked against them this weekend.
Cagliari are also fighting to avoid a fourth consecutive Serie A defeat, having been beaten 2-1 by Lazio on Monday. They looked set for a draw when Zito Luvumbo scored an equalizer in the second half, but Lazio regained the lead from the penalty spot. Shortly after, Cagliari had two players sent off—Yerry Mina for a second yellow card and Michel Adopo for dissent leaving them with nine men and a tough mountain to climb.
Sitting just above the relegation zone, Cagliari have struggled at home this season, failing to score in four of their six matches at Unipol Domus. They’ve conceded at least two goals in seven of their last eight league games, putting them in serious danger of relegation if they don’t improve soon.
Milan will be heavy favorites going into this match, and with Cagliari’s current form, it’s hard to see anything other than an away win for the Rossoneri.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
After giving Rafael Leão a recall and playing Yunus Musah in a more advanced role against Real Madrid, it’s uncertain whether AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca will stick with both players for Saturday's game, or if Samu Chukwueze will return to the starting lineup.
Long-term injuries continue to keep Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi sidelined, but there’s hope that Matteo Gabbia could be back in the squad after recovering from a calf issue.
Christian Pulisic is expected to continue partnering Alvaro Morata in attack. The U.S. international has been in good form this season, averaging a goal every other game. Pulisic scored his first Serie A brace against Cagliari in last season's 5-1 win at San Siro, so he’ll be hoping for another strong performance.
For Cagliari, Zito Luvumbo will be eager to build on his recent goal against Lazio after scoring his first league goal for the club against Milan last September at Unipol Domus. After being dropped for a few weeks in October, Luvumbo will want to prove his worth and retain his place in the starting XI.
Cagliari will be without Yerry Mina and Michel Adopo due to suspension, so Jose Luis Palomino and Razvan Marin could come into the side.
On a positive note for Cagliari, coach Davide Nicola has no other injury concerns and will have a full squad to choose from, aside from the suspensions.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Cagliari possible starting lineup:
Scuffet; Zappa, Palomino, Luperto, Augello; Marin, Makoumbou; Zortea, Gaetano, Luvumbo; Piccoli
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Morata
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Cagliari 0-3 AC Milan
Milan have scored 65% of their goals in the first half this season, the highest percentage in the league, while Cagliari are one of only two teams to score fewer goals before the break.
Given this, it's likely that the Rossoneri will take the lead early and hold on to it, especially with their defense improving and Cagliari struggling to pose a serious threat up front.
