AC MILAN v CREMONESE: MATCH PREVIEW | OneFootball

Here we go: the first chapter of our 2025/26 league campaign is ready to be written. After beating Bari in the Coppa Italia, another home match awaits the Rossoneri, who are set to host the final team to be promoted to Serie A last season. Kick-off for AC Milan v Cremonese is scheduled for 20:45 CEST, and we're gearing up for the game with our Match Preview.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO Morale is high in the Rossoneri camp, and after last Sunday's crowd of over 70,000, the opening match of our league campaign will also be played at a fully packed San Siro. Compared to the Bari game, AC Milan welcome back Massimiliano Allegri, who was suspended for the Coppa Italia clash and is set to make his second official debut in our dugout - almost 15 years after his first. Rafa Leão is unavailable due to a calf problem sustained against Bari, meaning Santiago Gimenez is expected to start up front alongside Christian Pulisic. Otherwise, Allegri's 3-5-2 is likely to feature many of the same faces as last time out, with new additions - Athekame, De Winter, Jashari and Modrić - ready to make an impact from the bench.

"We're starting the season, and there's a lot of curiosity, even from my side. The fans are very important, and we're happy with the support we received against Bari", Massimiliano Allegri said in his press conference. "Against Cremonese, we'll have another 75,000 people in the stadium, and we'll begin a journey where, in March, we hope to be in the best possible position to achieve our objectives in the final part of the campaign. Balance must prevail, and our objective is to play in the Champions League next year. You need to prove on the pitch, through action, that you have something extra".

LATEST FROM CREMONESE After the joy of returning to Serie A thanks to their playoff final victory over Spezia, the Grigiorossi endured a tricky pre-season, claiming just one friendly win - against Pro Patria. Last weekend, they also suffered the only upset in the first round of the Coppa Italia, losing on penalties to Palermo at the Zini after a 0-0 draw at full-time. The transfer market, however, has brought some important reinforcements, most notably the arrival of Sanabria from Torino. The Paraguayan is expected to start, with Nicola likely to favour De Luca over Bonazzoli for the second spot up front in his 4-4-2 formation. Three players are suspended (Barbieri, Vázquez and Valoti), while two summer signings from AC Milan - Filippo Terracciano and Warren Bondo - are very much in contention to make the starting line-up. The Rossoneri will need to keep a close eye on the Belgian Vandeputte, who played a key role for Catanzaro over the past three seasons.

Davide Nicola spoke on the eve of the match: "We will need to put on a display of courage and balance. I'm expecting to face a side that is high-quality, mature, well-drilled and strong, especially when in possession of the ball. AC Milan is fighting for different objectives and therefore has structural, physical and technical capabilities at the highest level, with new arrivals adding to what is already a top-quality squad. All of Allegri's teams are tough to face, they're constantly on the move and know how to exploit space. In football, you can't highlight the matches that you will get points in, what matters is having the ambition to be able to gain them against anyone".

PRE-MATCH NUMBERS

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v CREMONESE In Italy, the game will be broadcast on DAZN. To watch in a different country, visit the "AC Milan on TV" page and consult the section under "Abroad". On the Rossoneri's channels, matchday coverage on Milan TV will begin at 19:45 CEST, leading up to kick-off, followed by interviews and a press conference with Massimiliano Allegri. Don't miss our coverage on acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App, our social media channels and WhatsApp.

LATEST FROM SERIE A 35-year-old Giuseppe Collu will referee the match at San Siro. He has one - and recent - previous encounter with the Rossoneri, a 2-1 win against Genoa at the Marassi last season, but he's never taken charge of a fixture involving Cremonese before. Di Gioia and Mokhtar will be the linesmen, while Bonacina will perform the role of fourth official. Doveri, assisted by Ghersini, will oversee VAR.

Serie A 2025/26 will kick off today with four matches. Genoa v Lecce and Sassuolo v Napoli await at 18:30 CEST, followed by AC Milan v Cremonese and Roma v Bologna at 20:45 CEST. On Sunday, the following fixtures are scheduled: Cagliari v Fiorentina (18:30 CEST), Como v Lazio (18:30 CEST), Juventus v Parma (20:45 CEST) and Atalanta v Pisa (20:45 CEST). The opening round of fixtures will come to an end with Udinese v Hellas Verona (18:30 CEST) and Inter v Torino (20:45 CEST).

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