Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s superb strike helped AC Milan to a 3-1 Serie A victory at struggling Cagliari.
2023/2024 Serie A
1-3
8' CHANCE! Okafor‘s header over the bar
20' Petagna's foul on Loftus-Cheek
27' Okafor's shot too straight!
29' GOAL! Cagliari 1-0 Milan (Zito Luvumbo)
40' GOAL! Cagliari 1-1 Milan (Noah Okafor)
42' Yellow Card! Mateusz Wieteska booked
45' GOAL! Cagliari 1-2 Milan (Tomori)
48' Yellow Card! Loftus-Cheek booked
53' Yellow Card! Gabriele Zappa booked
60' GOAL! Cagliari 1-3 Milan (Loftus-Cheek)
78' Yellow Card! Gaetano Oristanio booked
Match Report
Stefano Pioli’s side started on the front foot against their out-of-form hosts, Tijjani Reijnders drifting an early opportunity wide before Loftus-Cheek wasted a chance due to a heavy first touch inside the area.
Much of the visitors’ threat was coming from Samuel Chukwueze down the right, with the Nigerian’s cross-shot floating wide.
The first big chance fell to striker Okafor, but his tame shot from 12 yards was easily held by Boris Radunovic.
Cagliari caught Milan out from a throw-in to score just their second goal of the season in the 29th minute, with Luvumbo – who got their first – smashing a left-footed strike into the roof of the net.
Ibrahim Sulemana shot straight at Marco Sportiello from distance as Cagliari pushed for another but Milan went straight down the other end to level after 40 minutes.
Christian Pulisic jinked past the full-back to cross low into the area and Radunovic spilled the ball into the path of Okafor, who finished from six yards.
Milan seized the initiative as Chukwueze fired over before Theo Hernandez’s shot required a fingertip save by Radunovic.
And the Rossoneri were ahead on the stroke of half-time as Reijnders’ cross along the six-yard line was bundled in by Tomori.
Cagliari threatened in the opening 10 minutes of the second half as Luvumbo was denied by a last-ditch block and Gaetano Oristanio shot over from the edge of the box.
Loftus-Cheek’s goal came on the hour mark as he arrowed a superb strike from 25 yards low into the bottom corner.
The hosts carried little threat as Milan controlled the game, but Luvumbo capitalised on a slip from Tomori to create their best chance to reduce the arrears three minutes from time as Oristanio’s strike was beaten away by Sportiello.
Milan’s next game is at home to Lazio on Saturday while Cagliari face a trip to Fiorentina on Monday.
Line-ups
Cagliari XI: Tommaso Augello, Mateusz Wieteska, Petagna, Radunovic, N. Nández, Pantelis Chatzidiakos, Alberto Dossena, Antoine Makoumbou, Gabriele Zappa, Zito Luvumbo, Ibrahim Sulemana
Subs: Viola, Simone Aresti, Pavoletti, Simone Scuffet, Goldaniga, Deiola, Eldor Shomurodov, Alessandro Di Pardo, Gaetano Oristanio, Adam Obert, Paulo Azzi, Matteo Prati
Milan XI: Florenzi, Sportiello, Loftus-Cheek, Tomori, Theo, Pulisic, Samuel Chukwueze, Yacine Adli, Noah Okafor, Tijjani Reijnders, Malick Thiaw
Subs: Kjaer, Mirante, Giroud, Calabria, Tommaso Pobega, Leao, Yunus Musah, Marco Pellegrino, Luka Romero, Lapo Nava, Davide Bartesaghi