START TIME
Serie A Week 19 – 8 Jan 2017 (17.00 UK)
Milan – Cagliari
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza


Sports Livestream ⚽ JOIN NOW for FREE
Instant access to the BT Sport, Sky Sports and Eurosport


Having beaten Juventus in the Supercoppa, Vincenzo Montella will lead Milan into Sunday’s match against Cagliari fully expecting three points.

Only one point behind fourth-placed Lazio and five from second-placed Roma, with a game in hand, Milan will be eager to keep that momentum going after the winter break and continue to push for Champions League qualification.

Massimo Rastelli and Cagliari are in very different situation, as the newly-promoted Sardinian club is focused on survival. With his job potentially on the line, Rastelli will want return from the break with a strong showing at San Siro.

Montella is building on the confidence-boosting victory over Scudetto holders Juventus in Doha on December 23, lifting their first piece of silverware since 2011. They are playing without fear following their surprising start to the season and hope to pick up where they left off.

M’Baye Niang may well return to the attacking trident, moving Giacomo Bonaventura back into a deeper midfield role. Nobody is shifting on-form Suso from his spot, while Carlos Bacca shoves Gianluca Lapadula towards the bench.

For Cagliari, Rastelli will look for a solid performance, as his job continues to hang by a thread. Prior to the winter break, he said he would not quit amidst rumours of a sacking. Having given up the more goals than any other team in Serie A and only having captured four points on the road, he is walking on thin ice still.

The Isolani are without ex-Milan striker Marco Borriello, Artur Ionita, Federico Melchiorri and suspended Simone Padoin. Cagliari will look to Diego Farias and Marco Sau in attack, while Joao Pedro should be back in the starting XI after recovering from a fracture. Escaping San Siro with a point would seem like a victory considering their away record and position in the table.

These two clubs are in the process of completing an exchange of goalkeepers, as Marco Storari will join the Rossoneri with Gabriel going the other way, but it won’t be completed before Sunday’s game.


Expect Milan to play a tight, organised match and come away with all three points. Cagliari’s road form is dismal, and they do not have the firepower to combat as side as strong Milan. At best they will hope to defend and counter, holding Milan to limited chances. Should the Rossoneri find the finishing form that has coincided with their winning streak, they have the potential to control the entire match and cruise to an easy home victory.

Having said all that, let’s not forget that Cagliari’s only away success of the season was in this very stadium against Inter on October 16.

Keep an eye on: Carlos Bacca (Milan) – After​ reports of huge Chinese offers during the January transfer window, look for Milan’s Colombian hitman to quiet any naysayers, while proving he is happy to stay and play under Montella. He will be relied upon as a point of reference in the attack, with his keen finishing skills.

Form Guide: ​Milan (D L W W D) Cagliari (W L L D W)

Last season: Not played

Stat fact: Cagliari have not beaten Milan since a 1-0 result in Sardinia in October 1998, when Giampiero Ventura was still on the bench. They’ve managed just six draws in the last 25 meetings, home and away. The Rossoblu scraped one point from the last 13 trips to Milan, losing 11 on the bounce.

Top tip: Milan lead at half-time and full-time.

Milan (probable): Donnarumma; Abate, Paletta, Romagnoli, De Sciglio; Kucka, Locatelli, Bonaventura; Suso, Bacca, Niang

Suspended:​ None

Cagliari (probable): Rafael; Pisacane, Ceppitelli, Bruno Alves, Capuano; Isla, Di Gennaro, Barella; Joao Pedro; Farias, Sau

Prediction: MILAN WIN ; UNDER 2.5