Arrigo Sacchi refuses to blame 17-year-old striker Francesco Camarda for missing a penalty in Lecce’s 1-0 loss against Napoli: ‘ I’ve seen even the greatest make mistakes from the spot. From Pelé to Maradona, from Messi to Baggio.’

Former Italy coach Sacchi reassures Camarda after seeing the Milan loanee miss a penalty for Lecce in Tuesday’s home loss against Napoli.

The Partenopei snatched the three points thanks to a Zambo Anguissa goal, scored minutes after Camarda’s error from the spot.

“The image of Francesco Camarda, devastated on the bench, after missing the penalty kick and after Napoli took the lead through Anguissa, is proof that football is beauty and wonder, but also, as in this case, disappointment, tears, and pain,” Sacchi wrote in his latest Gazzetta dello Sport column.

Sacchi: Even the greatest players miss penalties

“I always say that football is a reflection of life: everything happens on the pitch, and also the opposite. Missing a penalty can never be considered a fault.

“From the spot, I’ve seen even the greatest make mistakes. From Pelé to Maradona, from Messi to Baggio.

“So imagine if I’d be surprised that Camarda’s shot was saved and above all, imagine if I’d even dream of saying that Lecce’s defeat was his fault,” Sacchi continued.

“Camarda is a talented young player, someone who can bring plenty of joy to the fans, and I wouldn’t rule out that he could soon become a key player for the national team. Why should we throw him under the bus? Because of a missed penalty? Let’s not be ridiculous, please.”

Sacchi is surely familiar with Camarda’s pain.

“I lost a World Cup Final in 1994, on penalties against Brazil. I never thought of pointing the finger at those who missed,” wrote the ex-Italy and Milan coach.

Sacchi advises Lecce after Camarda’s error

“On the contrary, when I got back to the locker room, I gathered the team, the boys had tears in their eyes, and I told them that, to me, they were heroes, that they had given everything to reach a dream. It wasn’t just something to say in the moment. I truly meant it. I understand Camarda’s disappointment very well, but I want to tell him that he must not let it bring him down and, above all, he must listen to voices, comments, whispers or possible controversies.

“I sincerely hope no even even thinks of suggesting that Camarda should never take another penalty. That would truly be an unforgivable mistake. In a situation like this, I believe you should do exactly the opposite: at the next penalty, you hand the ball to Camarda and tell him, ‘Go on, don’t worry. And if you miss again, it’s okay.'”

Matteo Moretto reports that Bournemouth are determined to sign Álex Jiménez on a permanent deal from Milan, but Real Madrid will still have ‘financial control’ over the Spaniard once the deal is complete.

Premier League side Bournemouth are eager to sign Jimenez on a permanent deal from Milan, according to Italian transfer expert Matteo Moretto.

How much Milan earn with Jimenez’s permanent move

Jimenez moved to England on an initial loan deal worth €2m last summer, and Bournemouth have an option to buy for €18m plus €5m add-ons, according to Calciomercato.com.

Bournemouth’s option to buy becomes an obligation to purchase if certain conditions are met, but the English side seem willing to sign Jimenez permanently regardless of their original agreement with Milan.

Moretto adds that once Jiménez formally becomes a Bournemouth-owned player, Real Madrid will resume their financial control over their academy product, which means they’ll have a chance to match any offer Bournemouth receive in the future and potentially bring the 20-year-old back to the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid’s control over academy products

Real Madrid have the same sort of agreement with Como, as Nico Paz and Jacobo Ramon are formally owned by the Azzurri, but the Merengues have an option to bring them back in the coming years.

L’intenzione del Bournemouth è di riscattare Álex Jiménez dal Milan a prescindere delle condizioni dell’obbligo concordato in estate visto l’alto livello che inizia a mostrare in Premier.

Quando il club inglese sarà proprietario del cartellino dello spagnolo, il Real Madrid…

— Matteo Moretto (@MatteMoretto) October 29, 2025

Milan’s summer signing Ardon Jashari is expected to return to first-team training with the rest of the Rossoneri squad on Thursday after missing over two months of action at the start of the 2025-26 season. 

Jashari was one of the most expensive signings in Serie A over the course of the summer transfer window, joining Milan from Club Brugge at a total cost of €37m following a lengthy transfer saga. 

The Switzerland international was given 24 minutes off the bench during Milan’s 2-0 win over Bari in the first round of the Coppa Italia in August, and then another 16 minutes during Milan’s 2-1 Serie A defeat against Cremonese on August 23, but has been unable to feature since then. 

Milan expect Jashari to return on Thursday

It was reported that Jashari suffered an unfortunate injury in training after an accidental collision with teammate Santiago Gimenez. 

The club later confirmed that Jashari had suffered a fractured fibula, which was expected to keep him out of action for around two months. 

It has now been two months and one day since the injury that Jashari suffered in training, and now, according to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, the €37m signing will finally resume first-team training with the rest of the Rossoneri squad on Thursday.

Alessandro Costacurta says Milan played ‘much better’ after Rafael Leao was subbed off against Atalanta and believes the Rossoneri are ‘no longer a group of 11 players’ when the Portuguese is on the pitch.

Milan legend Costacurta was highly critical of Leao after the Rossoneri’s 1-1 draw against Atalanta on Tuesday.

Leao started the game, but was subbed off at halftime, and the former defender saw an improvement in the Milan performance in the second half of the game.

Costacurta criticises Leao after Atalanta 1-1 Milan

“Milan played much better without Leao,” Costacurta told Sky Sport.

“Milan conceded four goals in three games with Leao as a starter. When Leao was subbed off, Milan didn’t concede. It’s a fact that will cause discussion because with Leao, Milan are no longer a group of 11 players.”

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said after the game that Leao had a little issue in his hip, so he had to be subbed off as the team needed “fresh legs” in the second half.

Leao’s Milan stats this season

Leao only made his Serie A debut at the end of September, having taken nearly two months to recover from a calf injury he suffered in the first competitive game of the season against Bari in Coppa Italia on August 17.

The Portuguese forward has started in the last three Serie A games and has collected four goals in six appearances across all competitions this term.

Cagliari President Tommaso Giulini hits back at Milan owner Gerry Cardinale and argues that ‘someone in the USA might cheer more for Cagliari than for Milan.’

What did Cardinale say about Cagliari?

Milan owner Cardinale attracted criticism from Cagliari President Giulini after claiming in a recent interview that “In the United States, no one wants to see Cagliari against Lecce, and that’s a problem. Competition is the essence of sport, but it’s not rewarded financially.”

Giulini replied to Cardinale with a post on X social media: “Dear Cardinale, it’s easy to say that nobody cares about Cagliari-Lecce when one only knows Sardinia as a tourist,” said the Rossoblu president.

Giulini hits back at Cardinale

“The eighth club in Italy by fanbase is watched, respected and, perhaps, someone in the USA might cheer more for Cagliari than for Milan.”

Cagliari and Milan haven’t yet met this season, as the first Serie A encounter between these two sides will take place at the start of January 2026.

Milan drew 1-1 against Atalanta on Tuesday in Serie A Week 9, which is being played midweek.

Cagliari host Sassuolo tomorrow, Thursday, October 30. The Sardinians sit 14th in Serie A with nine points. They have collected one win, two draws and two defeats in their last five games.

Milan, on the other hand, only lost one game so far this season, but have collected just two wins and three draws in the last five games so they are now three points below table leaders Napoli.

Ademola Lookman made some rather cryptic comments when asked if he was finally happy with Atalanta, while Mario Pasalic relished facing Luka Modric in a Milan shirt.

It was a relatively even match in Bergamo this evening, continuing the unbeaten streak for both sides, but also lacking in victories.

La Dea have now drawn five on the bounce in Serie A, while it was the second stalemate for the Rossoneri, who were held 2-2 by Pisa on Friday evening.

Samuele Ricci had opened the scoring, but it was cancelled out by the first goal Lookman has scored for Atalanta since his failed attempt to force an Inter transfer in the summer.

Lookman still not ready to say he’s happy with Atalanta

“It’s important to be available for the team, to help the team,” Lookman told DAZN Italia.

“I’ve not been able to find form yet, physically or in front of goal, but I’ll get there eventually and this was a step forward in the right direction. Hopefully in the coming games we’ll be able to get some wins.”

Although Lookman has made it abundantly clear he does not want to talk about the past or what happened in recent months, he was asked if this was the night that finally made him happy to be with Atalanta.

His response was somewhat cryptic and suggested the rapport with the club behind the scenes remains tense.

“I think that when I’m on the pitch, the most important thing is to try to help the team win. We want to keep climbing up the table and that’s the most important thing, to win football games.”

His goal celebration was at best muted, showing little excitement or emotion as his teammates crowded around him.

Pasalic was in the starting XI this evening in a more advanced trequartista role supporting the two strikers, Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere, and took the captain’s armband when Marten de Roon went off with an adductor issue.

“We played our game, as we have done largely this season other than the first half against Cremonese. We attacked, pressed high, unfortunately we can’t seem to get this win that would be the turning point,” Pasalic told DAZN Italia.

“We are creating chances, but to win we need to be more concrete upfront.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Atalanta 1-1 Milan

This is a new era under Ivan Juric after nine years of Gian Piero Gasperini, although they are aided by the fact Gasp was Juric’s mentor.

“I already knew the way the coach played, and those of us who have been here many years were already accustomed to this type of tactical work. He is asking for some different things and we are getting there.”

Tonight was an extra pleasure for Croatia international Pasalic, who got to face legend Modric, and even got the veteran booked for a shirt tug.

“It is always a joy to play against a star like Modric, few can play like this at age 40.”

Ivan Juric believes Atalanta ‘had triple the intensity of Milan and dominated throughout,’ so were left with more regrets after yet another stalemate.

Samuele Ricci had given Milan the early lead in Bergamo with a deflected strike, until Ademola Lookman blasted into the roof of the net for his first goal since the summer transfer drama.

Davide Zappacosta had the best opportunity to win the game late on, his effort denied by a flying Mike Maignan fingertip save.

Juric saw Atalanta dominate Milan in Bergamo

“I think Atalanta had triple the intensity of Milan. We dominated throughout, they had one shot early on and aside from a 10-minute spell in the second half, there was only one team trying to win the game,” Juric told DAZN Italia.

“The lads once again put in a great performance, I’ve never seen the wrong attitude from this team and they deserve more points, but if we keep going like this, then the results will arrive.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Atalanta 1-1 Milan

The problem is evidently converting chances, because once again Atalanta had 17 shots on goal, but only scored once.

“I think we did very well both winning the ball back and creating chances in transition, but also keeping calm moving the ball around when inevitably Allegri’s teams sit deep. It’s really disappointing we aren’t picking up more points, because we deserve them.

“I remain convinced we will break through and get those results.”

Juric had said in the build-up to this game that Atalanta would’ve been in a better position if Lookman had been able to go through a normal pre-season, as he is only now getting back to full fitness.

“I think we pushed him to play more than perhaps he should’ve done in these games because we wanted him to achieve match fitness,” explained the coach.

“He is a particular type of guy, but in training and on the pitch, he is a sight to behold, just a spectacular player. A winner, with incredible determination, and I am very happy for him. We were only talking yesterday he said if he trains like this, the goal will come, and today he scored a great goal.”

There was a setback in the opening stages too, as captain Marten de Roon limped off with a muscular issue, replaced by Marco Brescianini.

La Dea extended their unbeaten record for the season to the opening nine rounds, but only two of those were victories, as this was their fifth consecutive stalemate.

“We almost have everyone back now, so the team is becoming really competitive. We dominated games against Lazio and Milan, but didn’t win for various reasons, so hopefully we can become more clinical in attack and with these characteristics I am certain we will do well.”

Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Krstovic were left on the bench throughout, so was that a tactical decision or based on fitness?

“It was a technical decision based on what I saw in training,” replied Juric.

Max Allegri reveals why he took Rafael Leao and Santiago Gimenez off against Atalanta, insisting Milan ‘need to have more belief in what we are doing’ in attack.

The Rossoneri had been hoping to close back up to the top spot after losing it with last week’s 2-2 draw against Pisa.

Instead, they have fallen further behind with another stalemate, as Samuele Ricci saw his early deflected strike cancelled out by an Ademola Lookman moment of magic.

La Dea had the best chance to win it, with Mike Maignan’s fingertip save denying Davide Zappacosta late on.

Allegri sees positive aspects of Milan draw

“We have a few absentees, but the team is reacting well,” Allegri told DAZN Italia.

“We were forced to defend ourselves in the first half after the goal because we were making a lot of technical errors, while we did better after the break, creating chances and making the wrong choices in the final third. That is where we must improve, the team needs to have more belief in what it is doing.

“Atalanta could not continue keeping that high press throughout and we knew they’d run out of steam, but in those moments we needed to improve our finishing and our choices in the final third.

“The goal we conceded was avoidable too on the through ball, but the team must be proud of its performance and prepare for the next match against Roma.”

Check the Football Italia Player Ratings for Atalanta 1-1 Milan

Some decisions prompted concerns, as Rafael Leao was replaced by Christopher Nkunku at half-time, then Santiago Gimenez limped off with an ankle knock.

They have limited options now, with Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupinan and Ardon Jashari injured, but Ruben Loftus-Cheek made his comeback off the bench.

“Leao had a little problem with his hip, he wasn’t in great shape at the end of the first half, so the team needed fresh legs and Rafa was struggling to sprint, so I preferred to take him off,” explained Allegri.

“Gimenez just had a knock, it shouldn’t be particularly serious for Leao either, and hopefully we’ll have Estupinan back against Roma too. I hope that after the break for international duty, we’ll have everyone back and fit, but until then we’ve got to grit our teeth.”

If Rafael Leao is not delivering, then Milan struggle to have any real presence in the opposition penalty area.

“Nkunku did very well as a centre-forward and Atalanta dropped off, while Loftus-Cheek had 20 extraordinary minutes, but it is during those positive spells we need to score goals. We had favourable situations in the second half and only allowed the one real chance when we gave the ball away,” insisted Allegri.

“Gimenez worked hard for the team, he needs to relax, the goals will come sooner or later.”

Atalanta held Milan to a closely-fought 1-1 draw on Tuesday evening, with Croatian attacking midfielder Mario Pasalic Football Italia’s Man of the Match.

Atalanta 1-1 Milan – Player Ratings

Atalanta: Carnesecchi 6; Kossounou 6, Hien 6.5, Ahanor 5.5 (Djimsiti 6), Zappacosta 6; Ederson 6, De Roon 6 (Bresciani 6); Bernasconi 6.5 (Bellanova 6), Pasalic 7.5 (Musah N/A), Lookman 7, De Ketelaere 6 (Samardzic N/A)

Best Atalanta player: Pasalic – The Croatian playmaker had a ball out there tonight, creating plenty of chances for his side, including the assist for Lookman’s equaliser, and being a constant menace for the Rossoneri defence to deal with. His passing was near-perfect and today the 30-year-old outshone his compatriot Luka Modric.

Lowest Atalanta rating: Ahanor – Fairly poor performance from the teenager tonight, although feels harsh to judge him too much as he is a young player with an important role in this Atalanta side. However, He did not look as solid as his defensive teammates and was eventually substituted off with twenty minutes to play.

Coach: Ivan Juric 7 – Subs had a good impact on the game and he set up his side in such a way to make life very difficult for Allegri’s Milan. The Rossoneri have only lost once so far this season and it could have so nearly been two, with La Dea the more dominant side this evening. Juric needs to find a way to turn these close draws into victories moving forward.

Milan: Maignan 6; Tomori 5.5, Gabbia 6, Pavlovic 6.5; Saelemaekers 5, Fofana 6, Modric 6, Ricci 7, Bartesaghi 6; Leao 5.5 (Nkunku 6), Gimenez 5 (Loftus-Cheek 6.5)

Best Milan player: Ricci – After spending his first months in Milan hardly touching the pitch, with the Rossoneri preferring Modric, Fofana and Rabiot as a midfield three, Ricci is now settling in. He picked up an assist in his last match and a goal against Atalanta today was his first in Rossoneri colours.

Lowest Milan rating: Gimenez – A yellow card and an injury marred an already flat performance from the Mexican forward. Needs to sort himself out at Milan before the Rossoneri sign a replacement.

Coach: Allegri 6 – Another evening of making the right decisions on paper but his squad letting him down. Made just the essential substitutions and seems to be sorely lacking in any sort of back-up plan for when his side are struggling.

Relive all the action as it happened in today’s Serie A matches on our Live Blog.

AC Milan dropped points again, as Atalanta earned their fifth consecutive Serie A stalemate with the first Ademola Lookman goal since his summer drama cancelling out a Samuele Ricci strike.

La Dea were the only unbeaten side in Serie A, but with just two victories, including four consecutive stalemates. Giorgio Scalvini and Mitchel Bakker were still out of action, but they opted for Ademola Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere supported by Mario Pasalic. The Rossoneri were reeling after losing top spot with a 2-2 draw against Pisa, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek returned to the bench, with Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupinan and Ardon Jashari injured.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Milan took an early lead, as Honest Ahanor cleared a corner to the edge of the area where Samuele Ricci let it bounce and hit the half-volley into the ground, a deflection off Ederson completely wrong-footing Marco Carnesecchi.

Isak Hien nodded a corner just wide, but Atalanta lost captain Marten de Roon to a muscular problem, replaced by ex-Milan midfielder Marco Brescianini.

Ederson tested Mike Maignan from the edge of the box, while Ahanor nodded a Charles De Ketelaere cross wide at the back post, but Ahanor missed a sitter when his first touch was heavy and at full stretch he prodded over the bar from nine yards.

Atalanta did get back on level terms with the first goal Lookman has scored since his summer transfer rebellion. He ran onto the Mario Pasalic through ball and took a touch before smashing the unstoppable left-foot finish into the roof of the net from a tricky angle.

Christopher Nkunku replaced a quiet Rafael Leao for the restart, with Lookman and Bernasconi seeing attempts charged down, while Santiago Gimenez went off with an ankle knock.

Alexis Saelemaekers found himself in an ideal position after combining with Youssouf Fofana, but instead of going for goal, he tried to set up Nkunku and it fell apart.

Odilon Kossounou showed impressive calm to chest a Loftus-Cheek header back to Carnesecchi, anticipating Nkunku from a couple of yards in front of goal.

Bernasconi also threw himself in the path of a Saelemaekers volley after the Luka Modric corner was punched away, then Fofana scuffed a volley wide on the Bartesaghi knockdown at the back post.

Atalanta thought they had taken the lead on 85 minutes when Davide Zappacosta shrugged off a challenge and launched a curler from distance that Maignan flew to fingertip over the bar with one hand. On the resulting corner, Zappacosta also drilled wide of the near post.

Matteo Gabbia made a decisive block on former teammate Yunus Musah at the near post on a Berat Djimsiti assist.

Atalanta 1-1 Milan

Ricci 4 (M), Lookman 36 (A)

28-10-2025 19:45

MatchDay 9

Gewiss Stadium (Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia)

Atalanta

Milan

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		4'		Samuele Ricci
		9'		Santiago Giménez
Ademola Lookman (Assist: Mario Pasalic)		35'

2nd half

		77'		Luka Modric
Marco Brescianini		90+3'
		90+3'		Matteo Gabbia

Match statistic

56

Possession %

44

17

Total shots

6

3

Shots on target

1

8

Shots off target

2

6

Blocked shots

3

9

Corners

4

0

Offsides

1

9

Fouls

8

Atalanta

Milan

Starting lineups

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

82'

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

72'

4

Isak Hien

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

71'

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

13

Éderson

Midfielder

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

82'

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

20'

11

Ademola Lookman

Attacker

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

90'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

46'

7

Santiago Giménez

Attacker

62'

Substitutes

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

70

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

Relja Obric

Defender

44

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

20'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

71'

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

72'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

82'

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

82'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

46'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

62'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

90'

Watch as Ademola Lookman scores his first goal since the summer transfer chaos with Atalanta, blasting a ferocious strike into the roof of the AC Milan net.

The Nigeria international and African Player of the Year had tried to force through an exit to Inter, even going AWOL from training for several weeks, but eventually had to return and accept the situation.

It took a while for him to get back into the squad and find his form, but this evening he reminded people what he can do with a fantastic goal to surprise Mike Maignan.

He ran onto the Mario Pasalic assist, took a touch and then smashed the left-foot finish into the roof of the net from a tricky angle.

See how the game unfolds on the Liveblog.

Lookman had not found the back of the net in an Atalanta jersey since May 12 during a 2-1 Serie A win against Roma in Bergamo.

This allowed Atalanta to equalise after Samuele Ricci had given Milan the lead with an effort deflected off Ederson.

Lookman goal marks new Atalanta era

There’s no stopping that

Ademola Lookman opens his account for the season with a thunderous strike

@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/deye49zHA4

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 28, 2025

Ademola Lookman that is some strike

The Atalanta man scores his first goal of the Serie A season pic.twitter.com/9a5J9C9OXV

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 28, 2025

Atalanta director Luca Percassi will not be drawn on the row between coach Ivan Juric and goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, as they prepare to face AC Milan. ‘This is the start of a new era.’

It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Lecce-Napoli on the Liveblog.

La Dea are the only side in Serie A still to taste defeat so far this season, but it has not necessarily translated into success, because they managed just two victories in eight rounds.

That includes a run of four consecutive stalemates, having wasted numerous scoring opportunities.

Atalanta try to smooth over tension

There was tension when coach Juric reacted angrily to goalkeeper Carnesecchi commenting that Atalanta would ‘get nowhere’ with their current form, so how does the club mediate?

“I am very fond of both, so I’ll just limit myself to saying we need to keep working one day at a time,” Percassi told DAZN Italia.

“This is the start of a new era, it takes patience and belief to get stronger every day, then we’ll see where we end up, but we’re not even halfway through the season yet.”

Some time to adapt is inevitable after nine years under the guidance of coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who left for a new challenge with Roma.

Atalanta have created numerous scoring opportunities during these eight rounds so far, but struggled to finish them off with goals.

“Considering the chances that we created, I think we deserved more points, but I couldn’t say how many,” added Percassi.

“We will keep working and the team will be able to express itself better with time. Tonight is a big game against a very strong Milan side who have a great coach in Max Allegri. It’s going to be an exciting match.”

AC Milan director of sport Igli Tare warns they ‘had not planned’ for six simultaneous injuries, but reassures Santiago Gimenez during his goal drought ahead of tonight’s trip to Atalanta.

It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Lecce-Napoli on the Liveblog.

The Rossoneri fumbled the leadership of Serie A with a disappointing 2-2 home draw against newly-promoted Pisa on Friday, a result they snatched thanks to a last-gasp equaliser.

Tare and AC Milan not losing faith

“We started this new project with great enthusiasm, the fans are behind us and we are going through a positive spell, so must try to find some consistency in this moment,” Tare told DAZN Italia.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek returns to the bench, but Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupinan and Ardon Jashari are still out of action.

With the squad stretched thin, but no European competition to worry about, are Milan planning on investing in the January transfer window?

“We had not planned for six players to get injured during the break for international duty, that doesn’t happen every day,” replied the director of sport.

“When these moments happen, we must be aware that we have a strong squad, which the lads proved on the field. We’ve got to keep going until the start of December, then evaluate with the coach for the future.”

Santiago Gimenez starts this evening, but he had been on the market in the summer with links to Roma and has been going through a lengthy goal drought.

“He needs to relax, this is part of the journey for all strikers. I know full well, I played in the same role,” said the former Lazio centre-forward.

“Everyone has faith in him, the club, the coach, but above all his teammates, and tonight is an opportunity to prove himself a great striker.

“Gimenez has always scored lots of goals in his career, so this is just a bad spell, but at the same time he works so hard for the team and this is why the coach keeps faith in him.”

Rafael Leao, Luka Modric and Santiago Gimenez start for Milan, who try to end Atalanta’s unbeaten record with Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman.

It kicks off at the New Balance Arena in Bergamo at 19.45 GMT.

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game and Lecce-Napoli on the Liveblog.

The Rossoneri had been on top of the Serie A table until their surprising 2-2 draw with Pisa at San Siro.

Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupinan and Ardon Jashari are still out of action.

Leao is partnered by Gimenez rather than Christopher Nkunku, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back on the bench after shaking off a muscular problem.

Fikayo Tomori returns to the defence after being dropped in favour of Koni De Winter.

Atalanta are the only Serie A side to remain unbeaten so far this season, but that doesn’t translate to a successful run, because only two of those were victories and they’ve drawn four on the bounce.

With Nikola Krstovic and Gianluca Scamacca struggling for goals, coach Ivan Juric opts for De Ketelaere and Lookman together supported by Mario Pasalic.

These are familiar faces, as both De Ketelaere and Pasalic are former Milan players, so are Yunus Musah and Daniel Maldini on the bench.

Giorgio Scalvini and Mitchel Bakker are the only remaining absentees.

Atalanta-Milan official line-ups

Atalanta: Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Ahanor; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Bernasconi; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Lookman

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

28-10-2025 19:45

MatchDay 9

Gewiss Stadium (Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia)

Atalanta

Milan

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		4'		Samuele Ricci
		9'		Santiago Giménez
Ademola Lookman (Assist: Mario Pasalic)		35'

2nd half

		77'		Luka Modric
Marco Brescianini		90+3'
		90+3'		Matteo Gabbia

Match statistic

56

Possession %

44

17

Total shots

6

3

Shots on target

1

8

Shots off target

2

6

Blocked shots

3

9

Corners

4

0

Offsides

1

9

Fouls

8

Atalanta

Milan

Starting lineups

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

82'

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

72'

4

Isak Hien

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

71'

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

13

Éderson

Midfielder

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

82'

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

20'

11

Ademola Lookman

Attacker

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

46

Matteo Gabbia

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

90'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

46'

7

Santiago Giménez

Attacker

62'

Substitutes

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

70

Daniel Maldini

Midfielder

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

Relja Obric

Defender

44

Marco Brescianini

Midfielder

20'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

71'

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

72'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

82'

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

82'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

37

Matteo Pittarella

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

46'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

62'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

90'

Santiago Gimenez will partner with Rafael Leao in Milan’s away game at Atalanta this evening, while Ivan Juric will look to Charles De Ketelaere and Ademola Lookman.

It kicks off at 20:45 CET (19:45 GMT) at the New Balance Stadium in Bergamo.

It’s a mid-week Serie A round, and the game will kick off after Lecce-Napoli.

Atalanta are the only unbeaten team in Serie A this season, but have also collected six draws in eight matches.

They host Milan without the injured Giorgio Scalvini, while the Rossoneri have travelled to Bergamo without Adrien Rabiot, Ardon Jashari, Christian Pulisic and Pervis Estupinan.

Multiple sources, including Gazzetta, claim that Atalanta coach Juric will pick Lookman and De Ketelaere in attack, with Mario Pasalic playing as an attacking midfielder.

Massimiliano Allegri is expected to reply with Leao and Gimenez up front. The Mexico international has yet to score a goal in Serie A this season.

Davide Bartesaghi will replace Estupinan on the left wing, and Fikayo Tomori will return to the starting XI after resting against Pisa in the previous round.

Atalanta vs. Milan – where to watch on TV

The game will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK and Ireland, but is also available to stream on DAZN. Fans in the USA can stream it live on Paramount+.

Atalanta vs. Milan – probable line-ups

Atalanta (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Kossounou, Hien, Djimsiti; Zappacosta, De Roon, Ederson, Zalewski; Pasalic; De Ketelaere, Lookman.

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, Gabbia, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi; Gimenez, Leao.

Jose Mourinho had an opportunity to discuss his time with Inter, and his rivalries with Milan and Juventus alongside Adriano Galliani and Gianluigi Buffon during a special event on Monday evening: ‘I have so much respect for him’. 

Mourinho, Galliani and Buffon were all among the star guests at an event organised by Corriere dello Sport, celebrating the paper’s 100th anniversary on Monday evening. 

Mourinho, who was appointed head coach of Benfica in September, was unable to attend in-person, but joined the special guests on a video call midway through the event on Monday. 

Mourinho, Galliani and Buffon discuss Inter, Milan and Juventus rivalries

Mourinho had a brief opportunity to discuss Inter’s rivalries with Milan and Juventus with Galliani and Buffon, insisting that he always had ‘respect’ for the former, and considers the latter ‘one of the greatest, if not the greatest’. 

Galliani, speaking about his experiences going up against Mourinho during his Milan days, said: “I’ve never felt like an opponent of Jose Mourinho. I respect him and I hope that this feeling will be reciprocated.” 

Mourinho, meanwhile, replied: “I always remember that during my time with Inter, I both won and lost against Milan. But, Galliani and (Silvio) Berlusconi would always come into the dressing room to congratulate us, and for this, I have so much respect for Adriano.” 

Buffon interjected, and insisted that the rivalry between Inter and Juventus was not always as pleasant. 

“There was no ‘good’ blood between Juve and Inter,” Buffon said. “At the time, we wanted to kill them, but then you’d meet Jose, who’d make a joke or say something to you that meant that you couldn’t hate him.” 

Mourinho was then able to exchange pleasantries with Buffon, adding: “I’ve always seen Juve as Juve, even if they were coming back up from Serie B at the time. And Gigi was always among the best, if not the best.” 

Only two Serie A players have been included on the 26-player shortlist for the 2025 edition of the FIFPRO World XI, as voted for by players across the globe. 

The FIFPRO World XI has been running for 20 years, and acknowledges the 11 most successful players each calendar year. The nominees are voted for by players across the world. 

A 26-player shortlist has been revealed, and that will be whittled down to a final 11, which will be announced on November 3. 

The goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three attackers with the most votes will be included, and the remaining spot is assigned to the outfield player with the next highest number of votes. 

Which Serie A and Italy players are nominated for 2025 FIFPRO XI

Two Serie A representatives have been included on the 26-player shortlist for 2025, namely Luka Modric of Milan and Kevin De Bruyne of Napoli. 

Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma has been included among the goalkeepers, and is a strong candidate to be included in the final XI given his victory in the Champions League final with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this year. 

2021 was the last time that either an Italian or a Serie A player was included in the final XI. That came a few months after the EURO 2020 final, which had been delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Donnarumma was included on that occasion, as was Juventus’s Leonardo Bonucci, Chelsea’s Jorginho, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who was still with Juve for the first half of that year. 

Gianluigi Buffon (2017) is the only other Italian to have been included in the FIFPRO World XI over the last 10 years. He and Matthijs De Ligt (also 2017), Dani Alves (2017, 2016) and Paul Pogba (2015) are the only other Serie A players to have been included in the last 10 years. 

2025 FIFPRO World XI Shortlist

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Manchester City), Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid).

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool/Real Madrid), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Marquinhos (PSG), Nuno Mendes (PSG), William Saliba (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/Napoli), Luka Modric (Real Madrid/Milan), Joao Neves (PSG), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Pedri (Barcelona), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Vitinha (PSG).

Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Raphinha (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona).

The 26-player shortlist for the 2025 FIFPRO Men's World 11 – as voted by players worldwide.

The team will be revealed on 03.11.2025. pic.twitter.com/bnu1umSCKw

— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) October 27, 2025

Massimiliano Allegri insists Milan remain equipped to keep winning despite a growing injury list, as the Rossoneri prepare for a difficult away match against Atalanta.

Speaking on the eve of the Bergamo trip, the coach confirmed that several key players are close to returning but also stressed that the squad must stay focused and avoid excuses.

Allegri optimistic about Loftus-Cheek and Pulisic

Allegri revealed positive news on the recovery front.

“Tomorrow we will have Loftus-Cheek back. Before the match against Parma we hope to have Pulisic on the bench, while we expect Estupiñán to return for the Roma game after the international break,” he said, with quotes via MilanNews.

The coach also noted that “Jashari should begin rejoining the group from Wednesday, but he will need time.”

Despite the absences, Allegri refused to dwell on who is unavailable. “We have a small squad, but it is enough to face the games between now and the break,” he insisted.

Milan are strong but injuries can happen – Allegri

“The Milan squad is strong. These injuries can happen, but we are in good physical condition and have played some good technical matches. We must not think about who is missing, we have other very good players who can play.”

The Rossoneri boss also pushed back against the idea that missing Pulisic, Estupiñán or others would define the team’s results. “It’s not as if we win or lose just because five players are out,” Allegri continued.

“When we are back at full strength, we will only improve – this is a strong Milan squad.”

Milan travel to Bergamo with little margin for error, facing one of Serie A’s most intense and physical opponents. Allegri’s message, however, is clear: no alibis, no fear – just continuity and focus.

Ivan Juric says Atalanta must raise their level in every department as they prepare for a crucial clash with Milan, while also expressing sympathy for Igor Tudor after the Croatian coach was sacked by Juventus.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Juric opened by reacting to events in Turin. “I feel sorry for Tudor because he was a Juventus man,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“But this is our job. When you have a period where you play well but don’t win, you must improve in every area.”

Atalanta coach Juric: ‘Everything is fine with Carnesecchi’

The coach also addressed his recent public friction with goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi, insisting the issue is closed. “Everything is absolutely fine,” Juric stressed.

“The words were said in the heat of the moment. I’m very satisfied with his performances.”

Juric confirmed that Marten de Roon’s selection in defence was a deliberate tactical choice and not a stop-gap. “It’s not a surprise,” he said. “He does that role well.”

He also discussed squad fitness, noting that Sead Kolašinac is not yet ready to start, while “Scamacca needs calm, but I’d like to get him playing soon.”

Juric on tough schedule ahead of Milan clash

Despite a run of draws and missed opportunities, Juric remains positive. “We’ve created a lot, but we haven’t turned it into goals. The team is alive. Lookman is fully involved and only missing the finish,” he explained.

Kossounou, meanwhile, is expected to start: “I’m pleased with his progress and I think he will play from the beginning.”

Juric acknowledged the challenge of facing Milan, especially with a demanding schedule. “Playing every 2-3 days is difficult. We analyse things day by day. To contain Milan, we need rhythm and compactness.”

Atalanta have not won in Serie A since September 21, and Tuesday night offers a crucial opportunity to restart their campaign.