A place in the quarterfinals is the prize as AC Milan and Cagliari Square off in a Coppa Italia round if 16 fixture on Tuesday. Milan have been in good form in recent weeks and should have too much quality for Cagliari, who have struggled for much of the season.
AC Milan are making their first appearance in this year’s Coppa Italia having drawn a bye from the previous rounds. With the likes of Napoli and holders Inter Milan already knocked out, this competition now offers a genuine chance for some silverware this season.
The Rossoneri have been in good form heading into Tuesday’s clash having picked up three wins and one draw from their last four matches. They claimed a 1-0 victory over Sassuolo in a Serie A fixture last weekend with Christian Pulisic getting the only goal.
Another positive for AC Milan is that Tuesday’s clash is at the San Siro, where they have done some good work lately. Stefano Pioli’s men have won five of their last six home matches across all competitions, keeping clean sheets in the last two in that run.
Cagliari reached the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia after claiming a 2-1 extra-time victory over Udinese. Having trailed for much of the second half, Nicolas Viola struck the equaliser 10 minutes from regulation time before Gianluca Lapadula grabbed the winner.
The Coppa Italia has been a welcome distraction for Cagliari from their Serie A straightest as they head into Tuesday’s clash with just one win from the last eight matches. They have failed to score in the last two in that run, although they did play out a 0-0 draw with Empoli in a Serie A fixture last Saturday.
Cagliari may have won at Udinese in the previous round but one of their major problems this season has been a poor record on the road. Claudio Ranieri’s men have picked up just the one win from their last 10 away fixtures and are currently on a four match winless run on their travels.
How the bookies view it
AC Milan are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 21/50 by 10bet. An unlikely victory for Cagliari is valued at 7/1 by Paddy Power while a draw is set at odds of 4/1 by bet365.
Head to head
AC Milan have a 33-3 advantage with 13 draws from 49 previous matches against Cagliari. The Rossoneri are unbeaten in the last 11 meetings, claiming nine wins in that run, including a 3-2 victory in a Serie fixture back in September.
Players to watch
Christian Pulisic has been a vital addition to AC Milan all season as he often scores important goals like the winner last time out against Sassuolo. The attacker has found the net in two of the last three home matches and is priced at 9/4 by bet365 to get on the score sheet.
AC Milan have found a way to tighten up at the back, keeping clean sheets in the last two home matches. Simon Kjaer has come in for the injured Fikayo Tomori at centre-back and can lead the Rossoneri to another clean sheet at 11/10 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
AC Milan have won to nil in their last two home matches and could be set for a similar outcome at 13/10 by BoyleSports. Their superior attacking quality means they are likely to score multiple goals, so a -1 handicap could be considered at 21/10 with BetVictor.
The Rossoneri have scored in both halves in two of their last three meetings with Cagliari and could be set for a similar pattern at 11/10 with bet365.
This Serie A match between AC Milan and Cagliari will be played on Jan 2, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best AC Milan vs Cagliari prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
