AC Milan’s Serie A campaign began with a shock as newly promoted Cremonese left San Siro with a 2–1 win, the Grigiorossi’s first-ever top-flight victory at the venue. Returning head coach Maximiliano Allegri sought a clean slate after last season’s eighth-place finish, but his side were outworked in key moments and punished by a pair of clinical headers and acrobatics.
Milan thought they had the perfect start when Santiago Gimenez beat Emil Audero, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside. Cremonese made that reprieve count. Alessio Zerbin delivered a teasing cross from the left and debutant Federico Baschirotto powered a header past Mike Maignan to give the visitors the lead and a foothold in the match.
The Rossoneri laboured for long spells, but parity arrived just before the break. Pervis Estupiñán arced a measured ball to the far post, where centre-back Strahinja Pavlović met it with a firm header beyond Audero. Cremonese protested for a foul on Zerbin in the buildup, yet the goal stood after a brief check, sending the teams level.
Milan emerged for the second half with renewed purpose. Luka Modrić, on his Serie A debut in red and black, forced Audero into a sharp save from the edge of the box, before Christian Pulisic and Youssouf Fofana drew further stops in quick succession. The pressure, however, proved fleeting.
Just past the hour, the game flipped on a moment of brilliance. A looping second ball fell inside the area, and former Inter forward Federico Bonazzoli, with his back to goal, improvised a stunning bicycle kick that left Maignan rooted. The strike restored Cremonese’s advantage and deflated the hosts.
Allegri’s men dominated possession in the closing stages but lacked penetration against Davide Nicola’s compact block. Crosses were routinely repelled by the visiting centre-backs, while Audero commanded his area and dealt confidently with what slipped through. Milan’s final pass too often arrived a beat late, and the home crowd’s frustration grew as time ran out.
For Milan, the defeat raises immediate questions about balance and ruthlessness. Set-piece defending, exposed on Baschirotto’s opener, requires urgent work, as does the predictability of resorting to high, hopeful deliveries when chasing a game. There were bright spells from Modrić’s orchestration and Rafael Leão’s carries, but they lacked a cutting edge.
For Cremonese, this was a statement win to open their campaign. Zerbin’s enterprise, Audero’s authority, and Bonazzoli’s match-winning moment framed a disciplined, confident display. Nicola will urge perspective, yet the identity on show, compact, organised, and opportunistic, offers a template to harvest points early.
On a night meant to herald renewal at San Siro, Milan were reminded that possession charts don’t win matches. Cremonese seized their moments and defended the rest, leaving with history, belief, and three precious points.
