Serie A Preview: Roma vs Milan – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Sunday’s Serie A action caps off with a heavyweight clash between fierce top-four rivals Roma and Milan at the Stadio Olimpico. Both teams remain firmly in the race for Champions League qualification, although the visitors boast loftier ambitions.

After establishing Atalanta as perennial Champions League contenders, Gian Piero Gasperini is on course to lead Roma to their first top-four finish in Serie A since the 2017/18 season. Indeed, the Giallorossi cemented their fourth-place position with a 2-0 away win over Torino last weekend, steering three points clear of fifth-placed Juventus.

In addition to enacting revenge on the Granata for a disappointing Coppa Italia quarter-final exit, Roma extended their winning league streak to three matches. They further solidified their spirits with a comfortable 2-0 home win over Stuttgart on Thursday, taking a huge step toward securing direct last-16 qualification in the UEFA Europa League.

Without the distraction of European football, Milan have had a whole week to rest and prepare for this clash after squeezing past Lecce at home last Sunday. Winter signing Niclas Fullkrug opened his Serie A account to inspire the Rossoneri to a crucial 1-0 home victory, keeping them within touching distance of pacesetters Inter ahead of this round.

However, the Nerazzurri extended their lead at the table’s summit to six points with a thumping 6-2 home win over relegation-threatened Pisa on Friday. Therefore, this fixture has all the makings of a ‘must-win’ clash for Milan if they’re to stay in the race for a landmark 20th Scudetto.

Match Preview

Roma

Consistency hasn’t been Roma’s strong suit in 2026, considering they’ve won four of their six competitive matches (L2). Yet, after struggling in front of goal in the early stages of Gasperini’s regime, the hosts seem to have finally rediscovered their scoring shoes, netting precisely two goals in their last five outings.

Gasperini has immediately turned Roma into a defensive superpower in Serie A, with the Giallorossi conceding a league-low 12 goals this season. Furthermore, Roma’s last three league victories have come ‘to nil,’ putting them on the brink of four consecutive top-flight wins without conceding for the first time since October 2013.

However, that task is nothing short of Herculean, considering Milan have won more Serie A showdowns against Roma than any other opponent (81), highlighting the magnitude of the task awaiting the home team tonight. Falling behind could lead to another disappointing result because Gasperini’s men have only rescued three points from losing positions this term (W1, L7).

Milan

Despite suffering a dismal 2-1 home defeat to newly promoted Cremonese on Massimiliano Allegri’s return to San Siro, Milan have since gone into overdrive. Indeed, they’ve pieced together an eye-catching 20-match unbeaten run in the league (W13, D7), positioning themselves as genuine Scudetto contenders.

Adding to the Rossoneri’s confidence, they have secured four victories across their last five Serie A matches as nominal visitors (D1), including a dramatic 3-1 triumph at Como on their most recent road trip. Furthermore, Allegri’s charges have only lost two of their last 12 league clashes against sides from the Italian capital (W7, D3).

It’s also worth noting that Milan have only lost two of their last 16 top-flight meetings with Roma (W9, D5, L2). One of those two defeats occurred in this corresponding fixture in 2024/25, as the Rossoneri suffered a 3-1 loss in May. With Allegri’s side failing to score in a league-low one game before this round, the visitors seem likely to hurt Roma’s backline again.

Team News

Mario Hermoso, Artem Dovbyk, and ex-Milan winger Stephan El Shaarawy will not be part of the team tonight. Despite suffering minor injuries against Stuttgart, Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ferguson are likely to feature in this potentially season-defining clash for Roma.

On the other hand, Milan will take this trip without long-term absentee Santiago Gimenez. Former Roma ace Alexis Saelemaekers should be in contention despite a minor thigh issue, while Strahinja Pavlovic has just recovered from a head injury.

Roma vs Milan Potential Starting Lineups

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Ndicka, Ghilardi; Celik, Cristante, Kone, Wesley; Soule, Dybala; Malen.

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, De Winter; Saelemaekers, Ricci, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao.

Roma vs Milan Prediction

Both teams head into proceedings in fine form, with Roma winning four of their last five competitive outings at the Olimpico. However, if there’s a team capable of knocking them off their perch, it’s Milan – the only team in Serie A yet to lose an away game this season.