Preview:AC Milan vs Fiorentina - prediction, team news, lineups

Six games unbeaten across all competitions, AC Milan will aim to continue their revival on Sunday evening, as they welcome faltering Fiorentina to San Siro in Serie A action.

While Milan have found form under returning coach Massimiliano Allegri, their former boss is struggling in his second spell with the Viola.

Match preview

Spurning a chance to distance one of their top-four rivals and win six consecutive matches, Milan came up just short in a high-profile battle with Juventus just before the international break.

A reliable player for the Rossoneri amid some challenging times, Christian Pulisic for once failed to deliver, missing from the spot as a tense contest ultimately ended 0-0.

Still, Milan have kept four clean sheets in their first six Serie A fixtures for the first time since 2006 - plus two from two in the Coppa Italia.

Such solidity is a hallmark of ex-Juve coach Allegri, who has made quite an impact since returning to San Siro this summer.

The Milan boss has tried to quell talk of a potential Scudetto challenge, but with no European commitments to concern them and Luka Modric pulling the strings in midfield, fans may start to dream.

The last time the Rossoneri went six league games without defeat was back in early 2024, when Stefano Pioli was still in charge, but they can reach that tally by defying their old boss this week.

Ahead of Sunday's late kickoff, Fiorentina last beat Milan at San Siro just over six years ago, losing on four of five subsequent visits.

More pertinently, the Viola are without a win after six Serie A matchdays, representing their worst winless run at the start of any top-flight season since 1977.

Just before the international break, they seized the lead against in-form Roma - with Moise Kean rocketing home a belated first league goal - but that proved a false dawn.

The Giallorossi struck back to win 2-1 at Stadio Franchi, meaning fragile Fiorentina have already dropped eight points from winning positions and they sit just outside the drop zone.

With his only wins arriving in the Conference League, Pioli approaches his 500th Serie A match under plenty of pressure, and speculation about a swift end to his second spell in Florence continues to rear its head.

Having led Milan for nearly five years, winning the league title in 2021-22, he now faces a reunion with the club that ruthlessly showed him the door.

At least one factor weighs in his favour: Pioli comfortably leads the head-to-head with Allegri by 15 wins to two - another success now would be timely.

AC Milan Serie A form:

L W W W W D

AC Milan form (all competitions):

W W W W W D

Fiorentina Serie A form:

D D L L D L

Fiorentina form (all competitions):

D L L D W L

Team News

A scorer for France during the international window, Milan forward Christopher Nkunku must overcome a minor foot injury if he is to make the hosts' squad this weekend.

Nkunku's national team colleague Adrien Rabiot is set to miss out with a calf problem, while Pulisic (thigh) will also be sidelined.

Like the French forward, the regular wing-backs in Allegri's preferred 3-5-2 system - Alexis Saelemaekers (flexor) and Pervis Estupinan (ankle) - both face late fitness tests.

Santiago Gimenez could partner Rafael Leao up front: the latter has previously scored four goals against Fiorentina, including his first Serie A strike back in 2019.

Meanwhile, the visitors' attack has failed to fire as yet: four forwards have produced a single goal between them through six top-flight matches.

Kean has actually scored more times for Italy this term, and if passed fit following an ankle sprain, he could partner either Roberto Piccoli or Albert Gudmundsson at San Siro; ex-Inter veteran Edin Dzeko is bound for the bench.

While Kean faces a race against time, Tariq Lamptey and Christian Kouame are the Viola's only confirmed absentees - albeit the latter has finally returned to full training after an ACL injury.

AC Milan possible starting lineup:

Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Leao, Gimenez

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

De Gea; Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri; Dodo, Mandragora, Nicolussi Caviglia, Gosens; Fazzini, Gudmundsson; Kean

We say: AC Milan 1-0 Fiorentina

Fiorentina's expensively assembled attack may have to wait a while longer to get up and running, as Milan are currently Italy's toughest side to breach.

The Rossoneri are not particularly attractive to watch, but they have proven far more effective than the Viola.

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