AC Milan will look to build on their unbeaten start in Serie A when they resume their campaign with an away trip to Sassuolo.
AC Milan have shown a lot of promise under new boss Ruben Amorim, and they will be looking to climb up the table with all three points against Sassuolo on Sunday. Meanwhile, the visitors would want to return to winning ways, having suffered a defeat prior to the break.
The home team are currently 10th on the points table with seven points in their five league outings. They started their campaign with a defeat, but were quick to bounce back with two wins and a draw. They took down Juventus 3-2 before losing 2-1 to Monza prior to the break.
While they have played some quality football so far, the defeat to Monza was a blow. Sassuolo will look to leave that behind and get things back on track. Having already defeated the Old Lady, they will be confident about causing another upset.
Meanwhile, the visitors are fifth on the table with 11 points in their five outings. They have been unbeaten so far with three wins and two draws. Draws against Juventus and Lazio were not that big a blow, but the 2-0 loss to Benfica in the Champions League certainly did not go down well with the fans.
They bounced back in fashion with a 3-0 win over Lecce and will now be eager to build on it when they resume action after the international break. Milan have enough quality to secure all three points in this fixture and keep pushing for the league title. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Sassuolo
Alberto Aquilani’s team remain without the services of Fali Cande (knee), Edoardo Pieragnolo (knee), Ismael Kone (lower leg) and Jay Idzes (suspended). Meanwhile, Daniel Boloca (knee), Cristian Volpato (unspecified) and Sebastian Walukiewicz (lower leg) are all doubts.
Aquilani is expected to set his side up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Arijanet Muric starting in goal. Simone Cinquegrano and Josh Doig should occupy the full-back positions, with Duje Caleta-Car and Fedde Leysen forming the central defensive partnership. The back four will look to keep AC Milan’s star-studded attack at bay.
Nemanja Matic is likely to anchor the midfield, supported by Kristian Thorstvedt and Darryl Bakola. The trio will look to ensure Milan midfielders do not run the show. Domenico Berardi and Armand Lauriente should provide width in attack, while Sebastiano Esposito is expected to lead the line for Sassuolo against AC Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Muric; Cinquegrano, Caleta-Car, Leysen, Doig; Bakola, Matic, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Esposito, Lauriente
AC Milan
Despite picking up a blow to his knee during the international break, Pervis Estupinan should be fit and available. However, Alexis Saelemaekers will be out for a few weeks with an ankle injury. Ruben Amorim has the majority of his squad available for selection, but he is likely to field a similar XI to the one that started in their last outing.
Milan will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Mike Maignan should start in goal, with Mario Gila, Koni De Winter, and Strahinja Pavlovic forming the back three. Samuel Chukwueze and Davide Bartesaghi are likely to operate as wing-backs, while Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot should form the central midfield pairing.
Modric and Rabiot will look to ensure they control the tempo of the game and dominate the ball. Christian Pulisic and Diego Moreira are expected to support Goncalo Ramos in attack. The duo will look to line up with the Portuguese international and cause serious problems for the home team.
Possible lineup (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Moreira; Ramos
Key Stats
- Domenico Berardi has found the back of the net on 12 occasions in his 20 league outings against AC Milan.
- Ruben Amorim is the first foreign AC Milan manager who is unbeaten after five league games since 1979/80.
- In the last five games between the two teams, an average of four goals have been scored.
- Sassuolo have won both their home league games this season, including a famous 3-2 win over Juventus.
- It’s the first time since the 2022/23 season that AC Milan are unbeaten after their first five league games.
Player to Watch
Goncalo Ramos
While there was a lot of drama in the Portugal camp surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo during the international break, his departure gave Ramos opportunities to start, and he made the most of it. He will be looking to build on his recent performances when he returns to club action.
So far, the 2026 summer signing has a goal and an assist in his five league outings for Milan, and he will be hoping to add to his tally when he takes the field against Sassuolo on Sunday. Ramos certainly has the quality to decide this game, and he is in red-hot form following the international break.
Prediction
Sassuolo 1-3 AC Milan
Sassuolo have shown that they can trouble the league’s bigger sides, as demonstrated by their 3-2 win over Juventus. However, their recent defeat to Monza exposed some vulnerabilities, and they face another stern test against an AC Milan side with plenty of attacking quality. Domenico Berardi could be crucial for the hosts, but Sassuolo will need to remain organised defensively to keep the visitors at bay.
AC Milan have made an encouraging start to life under Ruben Amorim and will be keen to maintain their unbeaten league record. Their 3-0 win over Lecce should give them confidence, while Goncalo Ramos will be eager to build on his recent performances and make a difference in attack. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.
