Preview

SUNDAY SHOWDOWN WITH ROMA!

Chris Lewis

31 Oct 2025 — 3 min read

AC Milan host Roma in the Sunday night slot, as Allegri's men look to get back to winning ways following back-to-back draws in Serie A.

Match Details

Fixture: AC Milan vs AS Roma
Date: Sunday 02 November 2025
Kick-off: 20:45 local time at San Siro, Milan
Competition: Serie A (Matchday 10)

Match Setting & Stakes

The fixture takes place at the San Siro, Milan.
For Milan this is a key opportunity: to consolidate position near the top of the table, especially given that rivals are now in hot pursuit. Milan last surged to the summit with a 2-1 win over Fiorentina thanks to a brace from Rafael Leão, however since then, back-to-back draws with Pisa and Atalanta have halted progress somewhat.
Against Roma, Milan historically have the edge and will see this as a chance to re-assert dominance over a traditional rival.

Team News

Here’s what we know about Milan’s availability and condition going into the game:

Injuries / absence

Christian Pulisic remains out after a hamstring injury suffered whilst on U.S. national team duty. Discussions indicated he will likely miss the fixture vs Roma.
Regarding Rafael Leão: It was reported that in the game against Atalanta he had some discomfort (“hip problem”) and was not “feeling his best” according to manager Massimiliano Allegri. He was withdrawn at half-time and is being assessed - although he did train with the squad on Friday which looks positive.
Santi Gimenez was also taken off after suffering a knock in the game on Tuesday night - he will also be assessed.
In more positive news; Ardon Jashari and Pervis Estupinan have returned to training following injury lay-offs. It will likely be too soon for either to make the squad for the match against Roma however. Elsewhere, Christopher Nkunku is likely to be given a start after making an impact from the bench in midweek.

Tactical / confidence context

Allegri’s Milan are aware that returning to European competition (Champions League) is a must this season after failing to qualify last term.
Milan’s form is decent — unbeaten in their last nine games (all competitions)
Milan’s have adopted a controlled possession style so far this season (pass accuracy 87.9 %) and have made fewer fouls compared to Roma, which suggests Milan will try to dominate the game rhythm rather than play on the back-foot - especially at San Siro with a vociferous home crowd behind them once again.

Predicted Line-Up for AC Milan

From the available information and typical selections under Allegri, here is a best-guess starting XI for Milan (likely formation: 3-5-2 or variant thereof.

Formation: 3-5-2

Goalkeeper: Maignan

Defence: De Winter, Gabbia, Pavlovic

Midfield: Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Ricci, Bartesaghi

Attack: Leao, Nkunku

What Milan Will Be Targeting & Risks

What Milan will aim for

Set the tempo early: Using possession, high pass accuracy (c. 87.9 %) and patient build-up. Milan will try to dominate the ball, stretch Roma, and create opportunities from wide (using Saelemaekers and Bartesaghi).
Exploit Roma’s weaknesses: Roma’s high number of corners (34 in their last five matches in one stat piece) — indicates attacking width and transitions. Milan could be vulnerable to that but can also plan to counter it by keeping their shape and limiting Roma’s opportunities.
Use Leão’s form: Leão’s recent double vs Fiorentina shows he’s back to influencing games. Milan will look to feed him and get him into dangerous positions. Likewise with Nkunku should he start alongside the Portuguese international.
Home advantage: At San Siro, Milan will look to impose themselves, take crowd energy, and build a lead before handing any momentum to Roma.

Risks and what Milan must avoid

Complacency: Historically, Milan have dominated this clash, but Roma will be highly motivated after back-to-back wins. Milan must treat this as a tough game.
Allowing Roma transitions/corners: Roma’s strength in wing play and set-pieces (corners) means Milan must stay alert defensively.
If Leão is not at full-fitness: That could reduce Milan’s attacking sharpness, so Allegri may need a plan B and will hope that he can call upon Santiago Gimenez from the bench if needed - despite the Mexican's own problems in front of goal.
Over-commitment: Pushing too many players forward could expose Milan on the break — something Roma may exploit. So balance will be key.

Prediction

A win for Milan would be ideal: it secures three important points, boosts confidence, and maintains pressure on rivals.
Considering Milan’s home advantage and recent form, I’d ordinarily lean towards a 2-0 or 2-1 Milan win. However, they do have goalscoring issues at the moment with the array of attacking talent currently on the sidelines.
Key moment: If Milan score early (first 20-30 minutes), they can control the game; if Roma score first, Milan must respond and, given their goal-shy attack, may struggle to overturn any deficit.

The game is once again live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK.