Massimiliano Allegri is back as AC Milan’s manager and his first game in Serie A is against Cremonese, a newly promoted team, at San Siro on Saturday.
Last season started well for Milan after winning the Supercoppa Italiana, but ended badly with their worst league finish in years and no European football this season. To fix things, Allegri was reappointed. He previously won the Serie A title with Milan, giving fans hope despite losing key player Tijjani Reijnders but bringing in experienced midfielder Luka Modric.
Cremonese returned to Serie A after two years by winning the Serie B play-offs. They hired Davide Nicola as manager to help avoid relegation. They had a poor start, losing in the Coppa Italia on penalties, but the arrival of striker Antonio Sanabria should help.
Milan have a strong record against Cremonese, especially at home, where they’ve never lost to them. Milan often concede the first goal at home but are good at coming back. Cremonese have lost every opening away game in Serie A before and often see both teams scoring in their away matches.
Key players include Milan’s Christian Pulisic and Cremonese’s Jari Vandeputte. Milan’s Rafael Leão is injured, while Cremonese have two players suspended.
