Month: October 2025

Week 8 was a sort of deja vu for many Milan fans. The team, though carrying some injuries, was unable to stay focused and come away with three points playing a last placed team. Pulisic, Rabiot and other absences hurt most teams with little to no depth but Pisa should not present a challenge at home. Yet it took a last minute Athekame speculative shot to come away with even a solitary point. Throughout the match the team frustrated and were frustrated by the lowly visitors.

Milan travel to Atalanta in one of the rare midweek matches for this season. The injuries remain except that Loftus-Cheek is ready for the bench. Tomori who was left on the bench in favour of De Winter for the Pisa match should be able to start again. Gabbia and Pavlovic remain the only options for the back. Maignan will of course start when healthy. The middle looks to feature the same five as against Pisa. Jashari is said to be closing in on a return from long term injury but that won’t happen yet. Modric continues to defy his age but may not last the whole 90 of a midweek match. Saelemaekers, Fofana, Ricci and Bartesaghi will complete the middle five. With Nkunku, an available forward, on the bench both of Leao and Gimenez can start together. The latter hasn’t yet gotten into form and though hard work can be seen often times it is not anywhere close to enough. Leao has been on the scoresheet when needed and this needs to continue because the push for a Champions League spot will only become harder as the rivals take shape. Juventus’ firing of Igor Tudor may turn out well for the old lady.

Atalanta have six ties in their first eight Serie A games to start the season. Will they remain a challenger for the top four spots? The team has the talent and Milan need to push hard to remain at or near the top.

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Things had escalated quickly at Milan with injuries piling up post international break. Winless Pioli and Fiorentina were visiting Milan for the week 7 encounter. Pulisic, Rabiot had become major absentees with Nkunku, Estupinan and Loftus-Cheek joining the American and Frenchman on the sidelines. At least Saelemaekers had passed the fitness test and ready for the start.

With Leao being handed a the center forward role many eyes were on him to see if the somewhat enforced start would prove to be what the Portuguese needed. Milan and Fiorentina played to an indifferent first half with Ricci also getting an enforced start in midfield. Allegri had decided to keep Gimenez as a reserve center forward and instead used Saelemaekers in a more advanced role. The Mexican’s presence would be needed to add some much needed punch up front. While Milan could claim to be the better team the change would be a catalyst for a turn in the game after Gosens had taken advantage of bad bounces to give Fiorentina the lead. Leao fooled De Gea in the visitors’ goal and beat him in the far side to score his and Milan’s first. Later in the game a disputed penalty was converted by Leao to give Milan the 2-1 win and the top of the table. The on pitch referee and VAR didn’t exactly avoid talking points but Gimenez had a defender’s hand on his face briefly.

Last placed Pisa led by Alberto Gilardino come to the San Sir for this week 8 match. The injury situation at Milan is mostly unchanged with few options for Allegri and Milan. It is likely that the same starting 11 as week 7 are going to put on the jersey with the possibility that Estupinan, Loftus-Cheek and Nkunku are closer to fitness. Maignan, Tomori, Gabbia and Pavlovic are now part of a team topping the table but also the owners of the second stingiest defence of this young season. This of course can go a long way in determining where Milan finish come end of the season. It is also fully expected the Milan will add a player or two in the January window to help the team on both ends of the pitch.

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Week 6 before the international break had Milan tying Juventus away 0-0. The result good enough on the surface generated a lot of talking points. Juventus looked very much beatable and the old lady does not exactly have her strongest starting 11 this season. Pulisic’s penalty miss, Leao’s less than noteworthy sub appearance all made for questions.

Week 7 sees Milan host Pioli’s winless Fiorentina. The Viola have three ties and three loses to start the season and sit just above the relegation zone. They could be without their top goal scorer Moise Kean as he hobbled off early during Azzurri’s World Cup qualifying win at Estonia. Speaking of which, the international breaks spares very few teams and at points during the break it was feared that Milan will lose all of Rabiot, Saelemaekers, Estupinan and Pulisic for short or long weeks. However it seems that the former three are ok and at least healthy enough for the bench. Pulisic left the USA friendly against Australia with what looks like a hamstring injury. Official word of its extent is not made public as of this writing but a hamstring issue could easily mean 4 weeks out. This of course once again raised questions about the value of international friendlies. Milan’s already thin squad can barely afford players such as Pulisic missing. As fate would have it this may give a chance for Leao to silence his critics, he will get a chance to do so as a starter. If Rabiot is unable to start Loftus-Cheek should be the one to take the Frenchman’s spot. Saelemaekers’ spot could go to Athekame and Bartesaghi could deputize for Estupinan.

Gimenez will be given more time up front as Nkunku waits patiently on the bench. Tomori, Gabbia and Pavlovic are the starting defenders in front of Maignan in goal.

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Milan leapt to the top of table after overcoming Conte and Napoli at the San Siro. The soon to be replaced San Siro? More on that below. Allegri’s stamp on Milan had become clear before meeting Napoli. A solid midfield and less goals allowed has been set up with a partially enforced 3-5-2 formation. Pulisic has continued his form through several coaches and has become Serie A’s statistical offensive leader of the past two years. He scored against Napoli to continue the form. The American’s goal had come after he had assisted on an early Saelemaekers goal. The referee added an inevitable asterisk to the game showing the red to Estupinan after awarding a penalty to Napoli. The Ecuadorean had been judged to have denied an obvious goal scoring opportunity and therefore double jeopardy was justified. Leao, back from injury, made a sub appearance and did a fine job of keeping Napoli’s players on their toes when they were looking for an equalizer.

The successful formation may have Allegri keeping it alive. With Leao back the components for a 4-3-3 are available, at least on paper. The coach might stick to the 3-5-2 and even keep the struggling Gimenez on as a starter. Pulisic must of course start. Estupinan’s red means Bartesaghi is a likely starter. The young left back will be part of another tough test for this Milan, this time in Turin. Rabiot, Modric, Fofana and Saelemaekers are likely to keep their places but Loftus-Cheek is lurking in the background. It is indeed somewhat surprising that the Englishmen hasn’t been given more minutes.

Tomori left the Napoli game injured but seems to have recovered from an adductor strain. It remains to be seen if he starts or more cautiously De Winter comes in.

The week also featured an important update on the San Siro issue. Milan city council gave initial approval for the sale of the stadium and surrounding land to both Milan and Inter. Barring successful appeals and other bureaucratic obstacles the teams can go ahead with the new stadium project. Most optimistic projection has the teams sharing the new stadium starting in 2031. The key phrase in the preceding sentence is “most optimistic”.

Juventus feature an in form Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbian was apparently not close to Milan in the summer, despite various reports to the contrary.

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