Month: December 2025

Milan had a few extra days off as the Supercoppa semi final elimination in Saudi Arabia left a weekend open that would have been the potential final. The news cycle therefore switched to the upcoming mercato with West Ham giving permission to Milan to take on Niclas Füllkrug for a medical and a signature. The German forward leaves a seemingly desperate English team and joins Milan to become a new number 9. Serie A is set to allow the German to be registered immediately and be available to Allegri for the January 2nd match at Cagliari. The way the squad was built last summer, intentionally reducing the squad size to barebones depth, has left Milan needing player with a very questionable track record of no goals in the English Premier League. At least the player arrives on a loan with a reported cheap option with some reports claiming it to be only €5 million. He and Nkunku were joint Bundesliga top goalscorers in the 2022-2023 Bundesliga season.

This week 17 match will of course not feature the 32 year old German and it will almost certainly not feature Leao either. The Portuguese has not fully recovered. Allegri has little choice but to use Pulisic and Nkunku up front. The two players have had a markedly different Milan career so far of course. In the middle Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot and Bartesaghi remain the more likely starters. Ricci, Fofana and Jashari provide better bench options than elsewhere on the pitch. Gabbia remains out and De Winter, who did not exactly shine versus Napoli in the Supercoppa defeat and was subbed out, will play with Tomori and Pavlovic. Maignan is of course in goal.

Verona are hovering in the relegation zone, never a good sign for a Milan team with a not so great record in early afternoon matches.

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Milan are in Saudi Arabia to play the four team Supercoppa mini tournament for a chance to defend the title won last January with Conceicao as a then newly appointed coach.

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The winner of the matchup versus Napoli will play the final in four days time versus the winner of the Bologna – Inter match.

The starting line up is: Maignan, Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic, Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Jashari, Rabiot, Estupinian, Nkunku, Pulisic with injured players Leao and Gabbia on the sidelines. The bench includes a few notable Milan futuro players.

Week 14’s story is all about one man, the one man that has recued Milan numerous times since his arrival from Chelsea. Pulisic, aka Captain America, was set to miss the match at Torino will illness and fever but made the bench. The team without had managed to fall 2-0 behind courtesy of a handball penalty, not controversial for once and a goal conceded from a familiar foe, Duvan Zapata. Rabiot’s long rage shot had swerved under the cross bar to narrow the deficit but Milan were looking less than convincing. Pulisic brushed aside his illness and was sent on with suspended Allegri looking on from the stands. Pulisic’s movement and anticipation had him putting the ball in Franco Israel’s net just moments later, Bartesaghi who had made way for the American had not completed his walk around the pitch to the bench yet. Ten minutes later good football IQ proved successful again and Milan hung on for a meaningful win.

Leao who had been subbed off due to injury just after the half hour mark will miss this match, and perhaps another week or two. He will likely be replaced with Nkunku. Nkunku has become the subject of failure and flop calls and it is difficult to judge what will transpire between now and the next two transfer windows. In the middle Ricci has been getting into rhythm and should remain a starter, perhaps even after Fofana returns from injury. Saelemaekers, Modric, Rabiot and Bartesaghi are set to remain starters. In the back Tomori, Gabbia and Pavlovic are the favorites to start with De Winter ready for a spot as well. Maignan is probably the only challenger to Pulisic for Milan’s player of the season award and he will start while many hope he can be convinced to remain at Milan beyond this season.

Sassuolo have had a mixed yet successful start to the season. The promoted team, coached by Azzurri legend Fabio Grosso, are eighth in the standings. Domenico Berardi, another familiar Milan foe is out injured.

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After beating Lazio 1-0 courtesy of Leao’s second half finish the two teams met again in the Coppa Italia. The refereeing controversy at the end of the Serie A win featured a supposed Pavlovic handball. The ball had hit the Serbian defender’s elbow from close range with the defender almost fully back to the ball. For such an event to be penalty worthy is at best questionable but to add a lengthy VAR review makes refereeing on par with player time wasting. In any event Allegri got himself red carded and is set to miss this week 14 match. The midweek match had Lazio take revenge of sorts and a tame Milan exited the competition and is left with one trophy to play for, two with the upcoming SuperCoppa.

Milan’s away record at Torino hasn’t been good in the recent past. Milan have won only one of past 12 games at Torino. The Leao and Pulisic partnership is set to be unavailable again as American is out with illness and fever. Nkunku is the favorite to take spot, while dealing with flop calls. The Frenchmen has yet to show much return on his big summer transfer fee. With Fofana still out it looks like Loftus-Cheek will get a start in the middle alongside Bartesaghi, Rabiot, Modric and Saelemaekers. Gabbia will return to his spot in front of Maignan having sat on the bench during the midweek match at Lazio. Tomori and Pavlovic are set to keep their place. Time is running out on the possibility of keeping Maignan at Milan. Tare has expressed hope a deal can be found. With many more millions on offer elsewhere few expect that to be the case.

Marco Baroni’s men have had trouble keeping the ball out of their own net having conceded 23 goals, only last placed Fiorentina have done worse so far this season.

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After what seemed like an overstretched ceremony the draw for next year’s World Cup has concluded. Here are the groups and teams (including the to be determined playoff winners) that will play for the World Cup from June 11 to July 19 in 2026.

*European playoff D: Is reserved for the winner of the matches Czech Republic/Republic Of Ireland and Denmark/North Macedonia. The semi final of this bracket is on March 26 and the final March 31.

**European playoff A: Is reserved for the winner of the matches Wales/Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy/Northern Ireland. The semi final of this bracket is on March 26 and the final March 31.

***European playoff A: Is reserved for the winner of the matches Slovakia/Kosovo and Turkey/Romania. The semi final of this bracket is on March 26 and the final March 31.

****European playoff A: Is reserved for the winner of the matches Ukraine/Sweden and Poland/Albania. The semi final of this bracket is on March 26 and the final March 31.

*****Intercontinental playoff 1: Bolivia and Suriname play, the winner of which plays Iraq for the World Cup spot. The matches are March 26 and March 31.

******Intercontinental playoff 2: New Caledonia and Jamaica play, the winner of which plays DR Congo for the World Cup spot. The matches are March 26 and March 31.

Milan and Lazio meet again in the Coppa Italia round of 16 days after eventful Serie A match which ended with yet more refereeing controversy and later admitted mistake. Allegri got himself red carded in the process, the ban for which does not apply to this Coppa Match, but the next Serie A match at Torino.
Fofana is out with muscle strain, likely meaning a Ricci start. Pulisic is back in the squad and should not be risked and remain on the bench. Modric is set to be be rested giving chance to Jashari to start after lengthy injury.