Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Serie A match.
Two years on from their painful relegation, Cremonese are back in Serie A. But their return begins with one of the toughest assignments imaginable: a trip to San Siro against Milan, who even loaned out two players to the visitors over the summer.
AC Milan
Despite lifting the Italian Super Cup and reaching the Coppa Italia final last season, Milan opted against renewing Sergio Conceicao’s contract, bringing back Massimiliano Allegri instead. Pre-season was lively under his watch: big wins over Liverpool (4:2) and Perth Glory (9:0) mixed with defeats to Arsenal (0:1) and Chelsea (1:4). Last weekend, Milan brushed aside Bari (2:0) in the Coppa Italia, with Allegri’s proactive 3-5-2 delivering 2.42 xG and 24 shots. Rafael Leão is expected to recover in time for the league opener, while several summer signings have already settled into the squad.
Cremonese
For Cremonese, the Coppa Italia brought early disappointment as they lost 0:1 on penalties to Palermo, producing just 0.35 xG and failing to register a single shot on target across 90 minutes. Summer signing Antonio Sanabria, bought from Torino, should strengthen them in the long run, but the Paraguayan is not yet match-fit and will likely remain behind Federico Bonazzoli and Manuel De Luca in the pecking order.
AC Milan vs Cremonese Prediction
AC Milan look sharper, stronger and better prepared. With Rafael Leão back and Massimiliano Allegri’s new system already showing promise, they should have no difficulty unlocking Cremonese’s fragile defence.
