AC Milan began 2026 with a hard-fought 1-0 away victory over Cagliari at the Unipol Domus, a result that briefly lifted the Rossoneri to the summit of the Serie A table. Coming into the match, Milan were keen to maintain momentum after recent positive results, having also shown their growing squad depth following the official loan signing of Niclas Füllkrug.
Against a disciplined Cagliari side, Milan controlled 54 per cent of possession but found clear chances difficult to come by in a cagey first half. SoftFootball tipped the visitors to continue their strong league run as they look to extend their unbeaten streak against Cagliari, yet the hosts started brightly.
Marco Palestra and Michel Adopo tested Milan’s concentration early on, while the Rossoneri struggled to find rhythm before the break. A late first-half penalty decision initially went Milan’s way, only to be overturned for offside, underlining a frustrating opening 45 minutes for Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
The breakthrough arrived five minutes into the second half, and it came from Milan’s talisman. Rafael Leão, returning from a three-game injury absence, finished a slick move in the 50th minute.
Youssouf Fofana threaded a smart pass into Adrien Rabiot, whose low cut-back found Leão at the far post. The Portuguese winger showed composure to control before firing into the roof of the net, registering his sixth Serie A goal against Cagliari.
Allegri managed Leão’s minutes carefully, withdrawing him on 69 minutes for Füllkrug, who made his Milan debut. The German striker nearly marked the occasion with an assist when he teed up Christian Pulisic late on, but Elia Caprile produced a fine save.
Luka Modrić also tested the Cagliari goalkeeper from a free kick as Milan sought breathing space. Cagliari pushed without conviction in the closing stages, managing just one shot on target all night. Milan’s defence, marshalled by Fikayo Tomori and Mike Maignan, stood firm to secure a clean sheet.
The win, shared by the club’s official X account, extends Milan’s impressive unbeaten away run and keeps them firmly in the title picture, building on confidence gained from recent league successes, including their dominant home win over Hellas Verona earlier in the campaign.
