AC Milan kicked off 2026 on a winning note with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Cagliari, a result that lifted them above city rivals Inter to the top of the Serie A table.
Returning from injury, Rafael Leao made an immediate impact, scoring the decisive goal early in the second half at the Unipol Domus.
His 50th-minute strike proved enough to secure all three points for the Rossoneri, although Inter could reclaim first place when they face Bologna on Sunday.
Cagliari began the contest brightly and posed early problems for Milan, particularly through adventurous wing-back Marco Palestra, who dragged a promising effort wide.
Midfielder Michel Adopo also went close, but his header was comfortably dealt with by Mike Maignan.
Milan gradually settled into the game before the interval. Ruben Loftus-Cheek wasted a decent opportunity, while Youssouf Fofana was crowded out inside the penalty area as the visitors grew in confidence.
The breakthrough arrived shortly after the restart. Fofana’s pass found Adrien Rabiot in the box, and the Frenchman teed up Leao, whose deflected effort flew into the roof of the net.
After taking the lead, Milan dropped deeper to protect their advantage, and Cagliari struggled to respond, managing just one attempt on goal in the second half.
Despite a sluggish start, Milan’s superior quality ultimately showed. They recorded 11 shots and an expected goals tally of 0.92, compared to Cagliari’s six efforts and 0.38 xG.
Loftus-Cheek was influential in midfield, winning seven of his 13 duels, claiming both aerial battles, recovering possession four times and completing 15 of 18 passes.
The win underlined Milan’s impressive away form. They remain one of only three teams across Europe’s top five leagues yet to lose on the road this season, alongside Real Betis and Bayern Munich.
It also marked just the second time in the past 20 years the Rossoneri have gone unbeaten in their first eight away Serie A matches, a feat last achieved during the 2020/21 campaign under Stefano Pioli.
