Softfootball previews Saturday’s Serie A matchup between Cagliari and AC Milan, including predictions, team news, and potential lineups.
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Fresh off an impressive 3-1 Champions League victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, AC Milan returns to Serie A action with high spirits and a renewed sense of momentum. The Rossoneri broke Real’s 15-game home unbeaten streak in UEFA competition thanks to goals from Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata, and Tijjani Reijnders, assisted by a rejuvenated Rafael Leao. With this victory, Paulo Fonseca’s squad now shares points with Real in the 36-team standings, significantly boosting their chances of advancing to the knockout rounds.
Domestically, Milan moved to seventh place in Serie A after a narrow 1-0 win against Monza last weekend, reaching 17 points but still trailing Napoli by eight. As they face Cagliari on Saturday, Milan aims to secure a fifth clean sheet in eight away games and continue their unbeaten streak on Sardinia’s soil, where they have scored in their last 13 league visits. History favors the visitors, as Cagliari has won only one of their past 39 league encounters with Milan, last prevailing in 2017.
Cagliari, meanwhile, has lost three consecutive Serie A games, including a recent 2-1 loss to Lazio, despite Zito Luvumbo’s second-half equalizer. A penalty allowed Lazio to retake the lead, and Cagliari’s efforts faltered further as Yerry Mina and Michel Adopo received red cards. Davide Nicola’s squad now finds itself amid a relegation battle, compounded by struggles at home, with only two goals in their past six games at Unipol Domus.
Team News:
For AC Milan, Fonseca may alter his lineup after deploying Rafael Leao and Yunus Musah in advanced roles against Real Madrid. Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi remain sidelined with injuries, but Matteo Gabbia could return from a calf issue. Christian Pulisic, averaging a goal every two games, is expected to join Alvaro Morata in the attack.
In contrast, Cagliari will be missing Yerry Mina and Michel Adopo due to suspension, likely prompting starts for Jose Luis Palomino and Razvan Marin. Other than these absences, Nicola’s team reports no new injuries.
Expected Lineups: Cagliari: Scuffet; Zappa, Palomino, Luperto, Augello; Marin, Makoumbou; Zortea, Gaetano, Luvumbo; Piccoli AC Milan: Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pavlovic, Hernandez; Reijnders, Fofana; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Morata
With a tendency to score early and improve defensively, AC Milan is well-positioned to take an early lead against Cagliari, whose offensive struggles may leave them chasing.
