AC MILAN v CAGLIARI: MATCH PREVIEW

A great way to start the new year. 72 hours on from their last league outing, the Rossoneri are set to take to the pitch again, this time in the Coppa Italia round of the 16. At what is expected to be a packed San Siro, AC Milan's opponents will be Claudio Ranieri's Cagliari. Ahead of the 21:00 CET kick-off, here is the first Match Preview of 2024.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
The Rossoneri want to make amends for last season's defeat to Torino and build on their victory over Sassuolo in their final game of 2023. Compared to the match against the Neroverdi, Coach Pioli will have to make do without Ismaël Bennacer, who has departed to join up with his Algeria teammates ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. However, following an agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation, Samuel Chukwueze will be available. Given the quick turnaround, there will very likely be changes to the Rossoneri line-up, with the aforementioned Nigerian winger, Adli, Jović and the youngsters Simić and Jiménez all eager to start.

LATEST FROM CAGLIARI
Ranieri's side have already progressed through two rounds in the Coppa Italia this season, winning 2-1 in the final minute of extra time on both occasions: they knocked out Palermo in the round of 64 and Udinese in the last 32. The Sardinians have been no strangers to late drama this season: they also scored stoppage-time goals to beat Frosinone and Sassuolo in the league. Cagliari, who are heading into the clash at San Siro on the back of a goalless draw against Empoli in Serie A (their third clean sheet of the campaign and their first shutout since September), will be boosted by the return of Makoumbou, who was suspended against the Tuscan side. However, they'll be without Nández and Desogus, as well as Rog, Shomurodov and Capradossi, all of whom are long-term absentees.

"For us, it's an opportunity, especially for those who don't often play," said Claudio Ranieri after Cagliari v Empoli and ahead of the game at San Siro. "I won't start the players I'll need in Lecce, as was the case when we won in Udine. If AC Milan get the better of us, we’ll congratulate them."

PRE-MATCH NUMBERS

• The two teams are set to meet in the Coppa Italia for the ninth time: the Rossoneri have six wins compared to Cagliari's one, with a single draw completing the picture. AC Milan have always progressed in knockout ties (a straight knockout match in 1967 and over two legs in 1983 and 1992).
• AC Milan are unbeaten in their last 19 home matches against Cagliari, winning 17 and drawing twice. Considering all competitions, only against Hellas Verona are they currently on a longer unbeaten run on home turf (37 games).
• Since the start of 2015, AC Milan are the team to have scored the most extra-time goals in the Coppa Italia (9). Meanwhile, three of Cagliari’s four goals in the competition this season have come in extra time.
• Both Olivier Giroud (29 August 2021) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (in the last encounter between the sides on 27 September) scored their first AC Milan goals against Cagliari. Should he find the net, the French striker would become the only player to have reached double goalscoring figures in each of the past 14 seasons in the top five European leagues (considering all competitions).

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN v CAGLIARI
In Italy, the game will be broadcast by Canale 5. To watch AC Milan v Cagliari in a different country you can consult the "Where to watch Milan on TV" section under "Abroad". On our Rossoneri channels, the Matchday on Milan TV kicks off its live broadcast at 20:00 CET right up until close to kick-off, with interviews and Coach Pioli's press conference afterwards. From 20:50 CET, there will also be Live Reaction on the AC Milan Twitch channel. Don't miss coverage on acmilan.com, the AC Milan Official App and all official social media channels.

LATEST FROM COPPA ITALIA
Alessandro Prontera will be the man in the middle for AC Milan v Cagliari. The 37-year-old is set to referee his second match involving the Rossoneri after previously taking charge of AC Milan v Hellas Verona during the 2021/22 Serie A season (meanwhile, he’s encountered Cagliari on three occasions, including once in the Coppa Italia). Mondin and Margani will be the linesmen, while Dionisi will perform the role of fourth official. Gariglio, assisted by Mazzoleni, will oversee VAR.

With the upcoming four-team Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia in mind, a decision was made to split the Coppa Italia round of 16 schedule over a number of weeks. The following last-16 games have already been played: Inter 1-2 Bologna, Fiorentina 2-2 Parma (4-1 on penalties), Lazio 1-0 Genoa and Napoli 0-4 Frosinone. All the quarter-final ties will be confirmed this week: the match at San Siro will be followed by Atalanta v Sassuolo (18:00 CET) and Roma v Cremonese (21:00 CET) on Wednesday and then Juventus v Salernitana (21:00 CET) on Thursday. The winners of AC Milan v Cagliari will face either Atalanta or Sassuolo next week. All of these teams are on the same side of the draw as Fiorentina and Bologna, who will meet in the last eight.

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