With just under five minutes left, the only remaining question is whether or not Donnarumma will manage a clean sheet in his 150th Rossoneri appearance. In fairness, the hosts deserve it as they’ve clearly been the better side today.
84'
Srna takes a corner-kick towards Ceppitelli but the captain is unable to make amends for his earlier own goal with one at the other end – sending the chance over.
82'
Borini has an ambitious strike towards goal which is saved comfortably by Cragno as Milan continue to search for a fourth goal.
80'
F. Bradarić enters the game and replaces JP Galvão.
Bradaric replaces Joao Pedro in Maran’s final substitution of the match.
77'
F. Borini enters the game and replaces H. Çalhanoğlu.
Calhanoglu’s search for a goal will continue into the next match as he’s replaced by Borini.
76'
K. Despodov enters the game and replaces A. Ioniţă.
Ionita exits the match with just over 10 minutes remaining. Despodov is his chosen replacement.
75'
P. Faragò gets yellow.
Farago is shown the match’s first booking for a foul in midfield.
74'
Cutrone manages to fire an off-balance half-volley towards goal with an acrobatic hit which narrowly misses the inside of the post, going out for a goal-kick instead.
68'
A. Deiola enters the game and replaces S. Padoin.
Padoin is recalled in Cagliari’s first switch of the match. Deiola is his replacement.
Minute
Description
66'
A. Conti enters the game and replaces D. Calabria.
Conti will also make an appearance as he returns to full fitness, replacing Calabria at right-back.
65'
P. Cutrone enters the game and replaces K. Piątek.
It seems as though his goal has earned him a rest as Gattuso withdraws Piatek in favour of Cutrone.
62'
K. Piątek has scored a goal for AC Milan!
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO STOPPING PIATEK! It’s his fourth Milan goal in three appearances since transferring from Genoa, and his first at San Siro as the Poland striker makes it 3-0 Milan! Calhanoglu’s right-footed shot from outside the penalty area is saved but put into a dangerous area by an out-of-position Cragno. Piatek is in the right place at the right time and he slips a shot underneath the goalkeeper and into the net!
58'
Calhanoglu gives away a free-kick in midfield after Kessie carelessly gave the ball away while on the attack. He’s slightly lucky to escape without a booking – but it was a good tactical foul to avoid a potential counter-attack.
57'
As we approach the hour mark, there is some movement on the touchline as a couple of Cagliari players begin to warm up. The visitors have looked slightly better in the second half, but there has really been no threat to Milan’s goal – something Maran must change using his substitutes.
55'
Pellegrini takes a throw deep in Milan territory to Padoin, who promptly sends a return pass down the flank for the full-back. Calabria is there to nip ahead of his counterpart and let it roll out for a goal-kick, but he wins a free-kick instead thanks to the Cagliari players’ frustration.
53'
A Kessie turnover in midfield allows Cagliari to attack as they push the ball to the left for Joao Pedro, who is kept trapped near the corner flag by two Milan defenders. The Rossoneri tandem stay alert and eventually win a goal-kick for Donnarumma.
51'
PIATEK HAS A CRACK! The Cagliari corner is defended well by Milan and the hosts manage to turn defence into attack on the counter. A cross from the left is met with a touch by the Poland striker well outside the penalty area who opts to half-volley it towards goal – sending it over the bar harmlessly.
50'
It’s Barella’s delivery into the penalty area but it fails to beat Kessie who is defending as the first man. It’s a poor effort but Cagliari manage to salvage something by winning a corner.
49'
Bakayoko takes down Joao Pedro from behind after nipping at his heels, which earns Cagliari a free-kick outside the left-hand corner of the penalty area.
48'
Calhanoglu cuts inside once again but he is unable to fashion a shot, instead dropping it back for Kessie who distributes it to the right for Calabria. The right-back takes a touch which pushes him forward and tries a crack at goal, but he’s unable to hit the target.
46'
Cagliari get the second half underway from the kick-off!
45'
HALF-TIME: MILAN 2-0 CAGLIARI.
44'
Pavoletti manages to get onto the ball near the right corner flag but his desperate cross isn’t met by a team-mate as there are none in the vicinity. Donnarumma comes to collect and does so very comfortably.
42'
Suso sprints into Cagliari’s half with the ball following a long pass but as soon as he gets to the edge of the penalty area he slips over under the watch of Pisacane, who can gratefully get it away without too much fuss.
40'
Pellegrini takes a long throw into the Milan penalty area but Kessie gets to it rather easily to clear the ball.
38'
Paqueta pushes the ball to the left flank for Rodriguez but his cross is blocked immediately, allowing Cagliari to clear. The Sardinians are constantly having to defend their goal, and it looks as though Milan may get another.
36'
Calhanoglu wins a free-kick in midfield after Ceppitelli’s lunge caught the leg of the playmaker. The captain isn’t having the best of times in this match after his own goal gave Milan the lead.
34'
Srna crosses the ball in from the right and it trickles towards the far post where Padoin can take a touch before firing a shot towards the goal. The effort never reaches its destination though as Kessie’s sliding challenge puts it out for a corner.
33'
Ionita tries to swing a cross towards the far post from a central position, but Pavoletti’s lack of movement towards the ball is due to his offside position - which he was aware of. That allows Donnarumma to let it roll for a goal-kick.
31'
Calhanoglu picks up the ball on the left and cuts inside before firing a long-range shot from outside the area which skips once before landing in the arms of Cragno in the Cagliari goal.
29'
Milan are knocking it about in defence, looking very comfortable and in no hurry to push on. In an instant, however, Calabria bursts forward and chips another cross towards the far post in similar fashion to his delivery for Lucas Paqueta’s goal, but he doesn’t get it right on this occasion.
26'
The Rossoneri have really hit their stride now, looking dangerous with every attack. The new signings in the transfer window have breathed new life into a side that looked sluggish at the end of 2018.
22'
Lucas Paquetá has scored a goal for AC Milan! Assist by D. Calabria.
Calabria’s cross was precise to pick out the run of Lucas Paqueta – and it will be credited as the assist.
LUCAS PAQUETA DOUBLES THE LEAD! It appeared the chance had gone after Calhanoglu failed to cross when in a good position in the penalty area, but the ball eventually manages to find Calabria on the other flank – whose inch-perfect cross to the far post meets the inside of Lucas Paqueta’s boot as he slips it past Cragno! 2-0 to the Rossoneri!
21'
Calhanoglu attempts a cross-field switch towards Suso but Pellegrini is there to win possession and pass it to Barella who pushes his team forwards into Milan’s half – a rarity in the first 20 minutes.
19'
Kessie runs the length of the pitch after a Cagliari turnover in midfield, which, on second glance looks to have been triggered by a Bakayoko foul which went unpunished. The Ivory Coast international has options to his right and left but instead attempts a shot from outside the area which drifts past the right-hand post.
17'
Milan build once again around the penalty area as Piatek attempts to chip a ball over the top for Suso which is nodded away towards the touchline by Pisacane. The Spain international manages to collect it before going out for a throw-in, though the ensuing cross is defended at the near post.
15'
Suso is well-known for his ability to cut inside from the right and shoot with his favoured left. He attempted an effort which sailed on him poorly earlier in the match, but this time he got it to work spectacularly by putting the ball in a dangerous area.
13'
L. Ceppitelli is unfortunate, scores an own goal!
MILAN HAVE A FORTUNATE BREAKTHROUGH! 1-0 to the hosts who are quite lucky to be ahead, as a Suso trademark left-foot shot is parried well by Cragno, but right into the path of Ceppitelli who turns it into his own goal! There was nothing he could do, but it’ll go down as an own goal for the Cagliari captain!
11'
Milan attempt to play it out of the back and get it horribly wrong, returning possession to Barella on the right, but a clumsy challenge from Musacchio on the edge of the box manages to help clear the danger, much to the frustration of the Cagliari midfielder.
7'
Suso shifts his weight to get past Pellegrini on the right, but his delivery is a poor cross which flies over Cragno’s goal and out for a goal-kick.
5'
Joao Pedro is caught by Calabria and earns his side a free-kick on the left, deep in midfield which is taken quickly – but fails to catch the Milan back line off-guard.
3'
Milan’s recent run of form is in large part due to the return to confidence of key players – namely Donnarumma and Bakayoko who have both played better recently than they have in quite some time. Along with captain Romagnoli – that forms the spine of this Gattuso side.
1'
Milan get the match underway at San Siro!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Serie A fixture between AC Milan and Cagliari!
Three points above the relegation zone, Cagliari has not managed a Serie A win since a Diego Farias goal secured a narrow 1-0 over Genoa on December 26. It has been a rough season for the Sardinian team, but a win against the Rossoneri could lift the side managed by Rolando Maran into up one spot into 14th.
Five matches unbeaten in the Serie A has Milan in seventh place, two points behind Champions League qualification with a game in hand over their challengers. The Rossoneri seem to have finally found a stable defensive structure, as they’ve only allowed two goals in that span.
MILAN XI (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Ricardo Rodriguez, Alessio Romagnoli, Mateo Musacchio, Davide Calabria; Lucas Paqueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Franck Kessie; Hakan Calhanoglu, Krzysztof Piatek, Suso.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, the team news has been confirmed! Let's start with the hosts.
CAGLIARI SUBS: Filippo Romagna, Christian Oliva, Maxime Leverbe, Rafael, Riccardo Doratiotto, Alessandro Deiola, Kiril Despodov, Simone Aresti, Alberto Cerri, Filip Bradaric, Luca Cigarini, Charalampos Lykogiannis.
CAGLIARI XI (4-3-1-2): Alessio Cragno; Darijo Srna, Luca Ceppitelli, Fabio Pisacane, Luca Pellegrini; Paolo Farago, Simone Padoin, Nicolo Barella; Artur Ionita; Leonardo Pavoletti, Joao Pedro.
MILAN SUBS: Andrea Bertolacci, Lucas Biglia, Ignazio Abate, Jose Mauri, Andrea Conti, Alessandro Plizzari, Diego Laxalt, Samu Castillejo, Antonio Donnarumma, Patrick Cutrone, Fabio Borini, Riccardo Montolivo.
At the other end of the pitch, it has been an unbelievable start for Krzystztof Piatek, whose two goals sank Napoli in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals before netting last weekend to earn a 1-1 draw with Roma. The partnership between the Poland international and Milan’s other new signing – Lucas Paqueta – has paid off in a short space of time, and they will be looking to continue that form against a Cagliari side that have conceded 10 times in their last five games.
In a season where Cagliari have managed a lowly 19 goals in 22 fixtures, Leonardo Pavoletti has done well for himself, scoring just under 40% of his team's goals. The only striker to have hit the back of the net this season for Maran, it’s a worrying sign that he has slowed down somewhat, netting twice in his last 10 appearances. He will have to find his shooting boots if the visitors are to have any hope of taking something from San Siro.
Milan ended the first half allowing Cagliari to come forward slightly more, but none of their opponents’ thrusts really troubled them. Maran’s side have not been able to get any service towards Pavoletti and Joao Pedro who are undoubtedly their danger men. Barella in midfield will have to unlock the Milan central block and allow his forwards to attack if they are to have any chance of getting a result in the second half.
Milan have an important clash with Atalanta next Saturday at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, while Cagliari host Parma on the same day.
That concludes our Serie A coverage of the fixture between AC Milan and Cagliari. We hope you enjoyed it!
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