Preview: Milan vs Cremonese – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction

Massimiliano Allegri will get his second stint as Milan supervisor underway on Saturday as Cremonese arrive at San Siro on the opening Serie A weekend. Expectations have cooled following a disastrous 2024/25 because the Rossoneri search a return to European soccer.

Regardless of a raft of big-name signings, Milan slumped to an embarrassing eighth-place end in 2024/25. Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao didn’t dwell as much as expectations. Regardless of main the membership to Supercoppa Italiana glory in his first two video games in cost, the latter left Italy after the tip of the season.

Reluctant to take extra dangers, Milan have turned to a well-known face to discover a approach out of hassle. Allegri returns to San Siro 11 years after departing to take over the reins at Juventus, hoping his second spell with the Rossoneri gained’t mirror the struggles of his ill-fated second stint in Turin. Nevertheless, it’s been a turbulent summer time for the seven-time European champions.

Cremonese’s go to might provide Milan the proper probability for a profitable begin. Again in Serie A two years after struggling relegation, the guests will focus solely on securing survival. They couldn’t keep away from the drop of their solely earlier top-flight marketing campaign within the twenty first century and can hope to do higher this time round.

Based mostly on their pre-season and an early Coppa Italia exit by the hands of Palermo, that process appears nothing wanting Herculean. Davide Nicola’s appointment as the brand new head coach confirms the membership’s ambition to combat for survival, contemplating the Italian tactician’s status as a specialist in steering struggling groups away from relegation.

Match Preview

Milan

After claiming 4 consecutive top-four placings, Milan hit all-time low final season, enduring their lowest Serie A end in a decade. A season with out European soccer has price the Rossoneri dearly throughout the summer time. Standout performer Tijjani Reijnders and long-serving stalwart Theo Hernandez left the membership firstly of the switch window.

Nevertheless, Allegri’s males have been fairly energetic on the incoming entrance, with Ardon Jashari, Luka Modric, Samuele Ricci, Pervis Estupinan, and Victor Boniface becoming a member of the membership. But, this curtain-raising fixture towards Cremonese, the aspect they didn’t beat in each league conferences in 2022/23 (D2), will come too quickly for the Nigerian striker.

Strongly fancied to take three factors, Milan can draw confidence from by no means shedding a Serie A match towards La Cremo at San Siro (W7, D1). Certainly, the Rossoneri have traditionally dominated this match-up within the high flight, shedding simply twice in 16 encounters towards their Lombard rivals (W10, D4).

Cremonese

It took Cremonese a nerve-wracking win within the promotion playoff towards Spezia to hitch Serie A for the sixth time. Compelled to function on a decent finances, Nicola’s expenses have had a comparatively quiet switch window. In consequence, they head into the 2025/26 marketing campaign as one of many hottest relegation candidates.

An uninspiring begin looks as if a digital certainty. Certainly, Cremonese have ominously misplaced all eight earlier Serie A opening-day clashes, with every sport coming away from residence. Maybe the arrival of ex-Torino ahead Antonio Sanabria might assist flip their fortunes round, although they nonetheless need to beat the percentages at San Siro.

The likes of Warren Bondo and Filippo Terracciano could possibly be of assist as they’ve each joined Cremonese on mortgage from Milan. Regardless of their underdog tag, Cremonese might make this contest thrilling, particularly contemplating eight of their final 9 away league matches have seen each groups on the scoresheet.

Crew Information

Milan might subject as many as three new midfielders from the beginning. Jashari, Ricci, and Modric might play collectively from the primary minute on the expense of Youssouf Fofana and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Nevertheless, Allegri can not depend on star ahead Rafael Leao, who picked up an harm throughout a 2-0 Coppa Italia win over Bari. Santiago Gimenez will probably take his place.

As for Cremonese, Bondo and Terracciano could line up towards their father or mother membership, with Manuel De Luca set to steer the road as Sanabria lacks match health. Final season’s headline performer, Jari Vandeputte, will most likely be the guests’ finest probability of discovering the web, figuring out that solely Mohamed Salah boasts extra assists than Vandeputte’s 28 because the begin of 2023/24.

Milan vs Cremonese Beginning Line-ups

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, cage, pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Jashari, Ricci, Modric, Estupinan; Pulisic, Gimenez.

Cremonese (3-5-2): audero; Terracciano, Baschirotto, Bianchetti; Zerbin, Grassi, Bondo, Vandepte, Pezzella; Bonazzoli, De Luca.

Milan vs Cremonese Prediction

Nicola’s sides by no means go down with no combat, however this isn’t a good contest on paper. Although we count on Cremonese to place up resistance on their top-flight return, Milan ought to stroll to all three factors of their first Serie A sport underneath Allegri since 2014.

Prediction: Milan to Win

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