AC Milan vs Bologna: Match details
AC Milan host Bologna FC 1909 on Wednesday, 28 October 2026 at 19:30 SAST (17:30 GMT / 18:30 CET) in Matchday 9 of the Serie A season at the San Siro Stadium.
Domestic bounce-back meets emilian ambition
A commanding 2–0 road display in Udine provided the exact response AC Milan needed, erasing European frustration through early clinical finishing from Christian Pulisic and a second-half sealer by Omari Hutchinson. The Rossoneri quickly turn their attention to San Siro for a midweek test against Bologna, who roll into Milan carrying renewed confidence. Raffaele Palladino’s Rossoblù rebounded sharply from their prior defeat to Inter by dismantling Cagliari 2–0 over the weekend, making Wednesday's encounter a crucial clash for upper-table positioning.
Getty ImagesKey matchup: Christian Pulisic vs Nicolò Casale
In-form attacking focal point: Christian Pulisic set the tone against Udinese with an incisive sixth-minute strike. His direct dribbling and sharp combination play off the right flank will force Bologna’s defensive line to stay compact and disciplined.
Commanding centre-back: Nicolò Casale anchored Bologna’s clean sheet in Cagliari while opening the scoring himself with a composed 57th-minute finish. Casale must manage Pulisic's diagonal runs and handle the physical presence of Gonçalo Ramos inside the penalty area.
Getty ImagesTactical breakdown & predicted XI
AC Milan (4-4-2): Maignan; Athekame, Gabbia, Pavlović, Bartesaghi; Hutchinson, Fofana, Modrić, Rabiot; Pulisic,Ramos.
Bologna FC 1909 (3-4-3): Skorupski; Darmian, Casale, Theate; Zortea, Ferguson, Pobega, Miranda; Bernardeschi,Odgaard, Cambiaghi.
Match insight: Milan enter as strong favourites on home soil, looking to dictate the tempo through Luka Modrić's distribution and aggressive wing-back support. Bologna will seek to frustrate the hosts through a compact five-man defensive transition, relying on the playmaking of former Milan midfielder Tommaso Pobega and the counter-attacking pace of Nicolò Cambiaghi to exploit spaces behind Milan's high line.
Team news & squads
AC Milan vs Bologna Probable lineups
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Starting XI
Manager
- R. Amorim
- R. Palladino
Ruben Amorim is without Alexis Saelemaekers and Matteo Gabbia through injury, with updates on their availability expected closer to kick-off. The absences add to a period of squad management pressure for the Milan head coach.
Bologna head coach Raffaele Palladino is also dealing with injuries in his squad, with Emil Holm and Riccardo Orsolini both unavailable. Palladino will need to find solutions across the pitch as his side attempt to arrest a poor run of results.
Form
Milan have won three, drawn one, and lost one of their last five matches across all competitions, scoring eleven goals and conceding five. Their most recent outing was a 3-2 win over Atalanta in Serie A, following a dominant 4-0 victory away at Salzburg in Europe. The only defeat in that run came against Benfica in the Europa League, while a 1-1 draw with Sassuolo in the league is the other result that cost them points.
Bologna's recent record reads one win, two draws, and two defeats from their last five. Their most recent result was a 3-1 loss to Inter, and they have managed just one victory — a 2-1 away win at Lecce — during that period. The side have drawn twice, against Torino and Sassuolo, and also fell to Napoli in that run.
Head-to-Head Record
The most recent meeting between these two sides came in February 2026, when Milan won 3-0 at Bologna's ground in Serie A. Across the last five encounters between the clubs, Milan have the stronger record, with victories in three of those matches. Bologna's sole win in that sequence came in a Coppa Italia fixture at San Siro in May 2025.
