Cagliari vs AC Milan Prediction: 9/11/2024

The Serie A match at the Unipol Domus on Saturday features Cagliari taking on AC Milan.

Cagliari

Cagliari aims to recover after a 2-1 loss to Lazio in their last Serie A outing, where they held 46% possession and managed six shots, with only one on target. Zito Luvumbo scored Cagliari’s lone goal, while Lazio netted twice through Boulaye Dia and Mattia Zaccagni. Cagliari’s defense has struggled recently, conceding goals in each of their last six games, totaling 11 goals. They will be hoping to improve defensively, although they haven’t beaten AC Milan in their last 12 league meetings.

 

AC Milan

AC Milan comes into this game following a 3-1 Champions League victory over Real Madrid. In that match, Milan had 43% possession and 14 attempts, with nine on target, securing goals from Malick Thiaw, Álvaro Morata, and Tijani Reijnders. Under Paulo Fonseca, Milan has scored six goals across their last six matches while conceding six. They have a strong record against Cagliari, having remained unbeaten in their last six away league games against them.

 

Head-to-Head

Looking at recent history between these teams, dating back to May 2021, Cagliari has struggled to find success. AC Milan has won 83% of these meetings, with a total of 21 goals scored across those encounters (17 for Milan and 4 for Cagliari). Their last matchup ended in a 5-1 victory for AC Milan, featuring goals from Ismaël Bennacer, Christian Pulišić (two), Tijani Reijnders, and Rafael Leão.

 

Team News

Cagliari is expected to line up in a 4-4-1-1 formation with players like Simone Scuffet, Gabriele Zappa, Jose Luis Palomino, and Zito Luvumbo. For AC Milan, Paulo Fonseca has some fitness concerns with Matteo Gabbia, Ismaël Bennacer, and Alessandro Florenzi unavailable. Milan may go with a 4-2-3-1 setup, including Mike Maignan, Emerson Royal, Malick Thiaw, and Rafael Leão.

 

Prediction

While Cagliari might find the net, AC Milan is likely to secure a narrow victory. A 2-1 win for Milan is anticipated, with the match expected to feature over 1.5 goals.