AC Milan are set to kick off the 2025-26 Serie A season at San Siro against newly promoted Cremonese in their first step toward the title race. With a new cast of stars surrounding USMNT forward Christian Pulisic, the Rossoneri are determined to reclaim their status as one of Italy’s giants.
Milan enter opening day following a mixed preseason that included a dominant win over Perth Glory and a disappointing 4-1 loss to Chelsea. With Massimiliano Allegri back on the sidelines and Luka Modric arriving as the marquee signing, fans are eager to see what this new project can deliver.
Cremonese, meanwhile, earned promotion alongside Pisa and Sassuolo and are preparing for their first top-flight campaign since 2023. Under head coach Davide Nicola, the club wrapped up its preseason in Livigno and heads into Serie A with survival as the primary objective.
Milan closing in on Victor Boniface
With Rafael Leao sidelined by injury, Allegri has just Santiago Gimenez as a natural striker, pushing Milan into the transfer market for reinforcements. That search has led them to Victor Boniface, who is on the verge of joining from Bayer Leverkusen.
Victor Boniface attends a training session of Bayer 04 Leverkusen after resume of summer break at Training Ground on July 07, 2025 in Leverkusen, Germany.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Milan will pay a €5 million loan fee with a €24M buy option. Boniface has already undergone medical tests, with doctors paying close attention to his right knee following a past cruciate ligament surgery. A final decision on the deal is expected tomorrow.
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Projected lineups for AC Milan and Cremonese
AC Milan’s projected lineups (3-5-2): Mike Maignan; Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Strahinja Pavlovic; Alexis Saelemaekers, Youssouf Fofana, Samuele Ricci, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Pervis Estupiñan; Christian Pulisic, Santiago Gimenez.
Head coach: Massimiliano Allegri.
Cremonese’s projected lineups (4-4-2): Emil Audero; Filippo Terracciano, Federico Baschirotto, Matteo Bianchetti, Giuseppe Pezzellal Alessio Zerbin, Warren Bondo, Michele Collocolo, Jari Vandeputte; Manuel De Luca, Antonio Sanabria.
Head coach: Davide Nicola.
