Following their dramatic Super Cup win, AC Milan host Cagliari in their Serie A opener on Saturday evening, looking to continue their excellent start under Sergio Conceicao.
The Rossoneri twice came back from half-time down to win two hard-fought games and lift the Supercoppa Italiana trophy, while their Sardinian opponents celebrated a more modest success in their last outing.
Latest AC Milan vs Cagliari squad information
After making a big impact off the bench in Milan's Super Cup final win, Rafael Leao could be fit for his first start for Sergio Conceicao this weekend.
Cagliari are one of Leao's favourite opponents, with five league goals scored against them so far, including one in each of the last two meetings between the sides at the San Siro.
After returning from oblivion, Fikayo Tomori appears to be the first-choice centre-back, while goalkeeper Mike Maignan is the Rossoneri's new captain.
Noah Okafor, Samuel Chukwueze and Alessandro Florenzi are again absent through injury, while Emerson Royal is suspended.
Cagliari will travel north without Zito Luvumbo, while Colombian defender Yerry Mina is a doubt with an ankle sprain.
Recently signed from Napoli in a swap deal involving Simone Scuffet, goalkeeper Elia Caprile could make his debut between the sticks.
Up front, Roberto Piccoli will be supported by Nicolas Viola or Gianluca Gaetano. Notably, Piccoli's 18 top-flight goals have come against 18 different teams, but he has yet to score against Milan in 387 minutes of play.
Latest expected lineup AC Milan vs Cagliari
AC Milan:
Maignan; Calabria, Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez; Fofana, Musah; Pulisic, Reijnders, Leao; Morata
Cagliari:
Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Obert; Zortea, Adopo, Makoumbou, Augello; Viola; Piccoli
Latest football commentary AC Milan vs Cagliari
A remarkable comeback secured Milan's eighth Supercoppa title on Monday night, made all the sweeter by the fact it came from the back of an old rival, after overcoming champions Inter Milan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Tammy Abraham's late goal completed the Rossoneri's comeback in a dramatic Derby della Madonnina, following earlier strikes from Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic - and Rafael Leao's inspired second-half appearance proved crucial.
Within a week of his appointment, new coach Sergio Conceicao led Milan to victories over Juventus and their city rivals, securing the club's first title since pipping Inter to the Scudetto in 2022.
Leao spoke of a new spirit under his Portuguese compatriot, who proudly declared he was not hired to be loved by the players, before smashing a screen during his half-time speech against Juve.
Under former coach Paulo Fonseca, Milan failed to come from behind once this season, but they have now done it twice in as many days, reinforcing the belief that a top-four finish in Serie A is not yet out of reach.
Before heading to the East last week, the Rossoneri's 1-1 home draw with Roma left them eighth in the table, but they still have at least a game in hand on most of their rivals for Champions League qualification.
The last Milan coach to win all three of his first games was the great Arrigo Sacchi, in August 1987, but Conceicao could join that club on Saturday, when the second-city giants take on their favourite opponents.
Cagliari have faced Milan 18 times at the San Siro in Serie A so far this century, losing no less than 17 times. During that time, they have conceded around 46 goals and scored just 11.
Indeed, home or away, the Rossoblu are winless in 13 league meetings between the two very different clubs, following a dramatic 3-3 draw in Sardinia in November.
Nadir Zortea opened the scoring that day before Gabriele Zappa proved an unexpected hero for his side with a superb second-half double, and Zortea was also on target last weekend, as Cagliari beat 10-man Monza 2-1.
With his fifth goal of the season, Roberto Piccoli sealed victory over the bottom side, boosting the team's hopes of staying up for a second successive season.
After losing their last four games of 2024, that result was a huge relief for head coach Davide Nicola, who has a reputation as a relegation specialist.
However, the last time Cagliari won two games in a row was in March, and their record at the San Siro suggests that picking up maximum points could be a tough task.
AC Milan vs Cagliari score prediction
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the following results for the match AC Milan vs Cagliari :
- Sportsmole: AC Milan 3-0 Cagliari
- WhoScore: AC Milan 2-0 Cagliari
- Our prediction: AC Milan 3-0 Cagliari
When and where to watch AC Milan vs Cagliari live?
To watch live the match AC Milan vs Cagliari in Serie A taking place at 2:45 on January 12, viewers can watch on K+ Sport, K+PM or online sports channels. Wishing viewers happy moments of watching football.
Source: https://baodaknong.vn/nhan-dinh-du-doan-ac-milan-vs-cagliari-chien-thang-cho-ke-manh-239928.html
Comment (0)