Sassuolo vs AC Milan – News and Probable Lineups

In pursuit of building on their strong start to the season, AC Milan will emerge from the international break to face their challenging opponents Sassuolo this Sunday.

Despite remaining unbeaten in Serie A thus far, Milan has found it difficult to secure victories against the Neroverdi recently.

Match overview

Barring a defeat in the Europa League against his former side Benfica, Ruben Amorim’s tenure in Milan has generally been promising, with his team accumulating 11 points over five top-flight matches.

The Rossoneri last recorded a 3-0 win over Lecce, with new addition Diego Moreira netting his third goal in as many matches, placing them just two points off the early league leaders Roma.

This victory broke a three-match winless run, having effectively lost two points against Juventus prior to earning a draw with Lazio and subsequently succumbing to Benfica at home.

Now, Milan aims to remain unbeaten through their opening six Serie A encounters for the first time since 2022, though their upcoming hosts have proven to be tough competitors recently.

A loss during their last visit to the Mapei Stadium was part of a late-season decline that led to missing out on Champions League qualification in May, while Milan has not triumphed in their last three league clashes with this opponent.

Although they faced a heavy 6-1 defeat at San Siro in a Coppa Italia match two years ago, Sassuolo has only lost twice in their last nine Serie A fixtures against the Rossoneri.

This time around, the Emilian side will strive for another prominent win, having recently achieved a thrilling victory over Juventus before the break.

The excitement from that win quickly faded, however, as Alberto Aquilani’s team then suffered an unexpected loss to struggling Monza, leaving them in 10th place in the standings.

Now also in the last 16 of the cup – where they will face Juve again – it has still been a fruitful start for new manager Aquilani in Reggio Emilia.

Since the days of Fabio Grosso, Sassuolo has secured eight out of their last 11 home matches in Serie A, with only Inter and Roma boasting more home victories during that timeframe.

Team News

Pervis Estupinan is anticipated to return from a knee sprain incurred while on national duty, while Milan will be without Belgium international Alexis Saelemaekers, who might be sidelined until early next year due to an ankle issue.

With the rest of the squad available, Amorim is likely to field a side similar to the one that faced Lecce, led by Portuguese star Goncalo Ramos.

Two positions supporting the lone forward are hotly contested, but Moreira may replace Saelemaekers after scoring three times in only 127 minutes of Serie A play.

Sassuolo’s key player also has an impressive scoring record against Milan: including the opening goal in the 2-0 victory at home in May, Domenico Berardi has netted 12 times across 20 league games against the Rossoneri.

While he will operate on the right flank, Sebastiano Esposito and Kieron Bowie – who played for Italy and Scotland respectively in the UEFA Nations League – must compete to feature in a three-man attack.

A three-week break has not improved the lengthening injury list for the hosts: Fali Cande, Edoardo Pieragnolo, Ismael Kone, and Jay Idzes remain unavailable.

Goalkeeper Arijanet Muric might be fit again despite missing Kosovo’s last two Nations League matches, yet Daniel Boloca, Cristian Volpato, and Sebastian Walukiewicz are all uncertain for this fixture.

Sassuolo probable starting XI:

Muric; Cinquegrano, Caleta-Car, Leysen, Doig; Bakola, Matic, Thorstvedt; Berardi, Esposito, Lauriente

AC Milan probable starting XI:

Cousins; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Moreira; Ramos

While outcomes have mostly been favorable, Milan has yet to fully impress under Amorim, so a demanding challenge against Sassuolo could result in just one point.

The hosts typically elevate their performance against Italy’s elite teams, and a potent offense is likely to test the visitors’ shaky defense.