Sports
Serie A | Cagliari 0-1 AC Milan: Leao enjoys first goal of new year on Fullkrug debut
CAGLIARI, ITALY – JANUARY 02: Rafael Leao of Milan scores the first goal during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and AC Milan at Stadio Sant’Elia on January 02, 2026 in Cagliari, Italy. (Photo by Enrico Locci/Getty Images)
Rafael Leao scored the first Serie A goal of 2026 to give a reshuffled Milan the victory away to Cagliari, with Niclas Fullkrug making his debut.
The Rossoneri had Rafael Leao back, but Christopher Nkunku and Santiago Gimenez missed out, plus Strahinja Pavlovic, Christian Pulisic and Matteo Gabbia not fully fit, so Davide Bartesaghi dropped into defence. New signing Niclas Fullkrug was in the squad hours after completing the loan from West Ham. The Sardinians lost Michael Folorunsho, Ze Pedro, Andrea Belotti and Mattia Felici, with Yerry Mina and Alessandro Deiola only fit for the bench. Zito Luvumbo and Joseph Liteta came back after AFCON early elimination.
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
Pervis Estupinan stepped in for Bartesaghi and immediately made two errors in the first two minutes, which Matteo Prati and Marco Palestra failed to make the most of. Michel Adopo’s header was straight at Mike Maignan, while Sebastiano Luperto prevented Rafael Leao from meeting the Alexis Saelemaekers roll across from the right.
Luca Mazzitelli could only find the side-netting from a smart Prati dinked pass. Cagliari got away with one on the stroke of half-time, as Juan Rodriguez brought down Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but it wasn’t a penalty because Leao was offside in the build-up. Leao also hit the crossbar at the dawn of the second half, but that wouldn’t have counted either, as the ball had already gone out of play on the corner.
Loftus-Cheek was onside when nodding an Alexis Saelemaekers cross over, and Milan broke the deadlock moments later after starting the second half with a clearly different attitude.
Adrien Rabiot got down the right from a Youssouf Fofana pass and rolled across, as Gabriele Zappa failed to intercept, so Leao controlled with his right boot and fired into the far top corner with his left from nine yards. It was the 12th time in Serie A this season that Milan had scored with their first shot on target.
Sebastiano Esposito went off with cramp and Niclas Fullkrug made his Milan debut, just hours after completing the loan move from West Ham.
Semih Kilicsoy’s overhead kick was deflected wide by Samuele Ricci, while Elia Caprile’s gloves were stung by Pulisic at the back post on a Fullkrug assist.
Luka Modric’s cheeky free kick was bent low around the wall at the near bottom corner, Caprile scrambling across to push it off the line.
Leao 50 (M)
1
33
28
15 2
6
4
16 8
94
9
16
33
23 5
2
12
56 14
8
19
10 20
14
31
77 18
24
26
23 27
37
29
3 10
30
21
1
31
30 96
24
27
38 4
9
46
11
Cagliari 0-1 Milan
61′ 
83′ 61′ 
66′ 83′ 
79′ 
79′ 
69′ 
69′ 
61′ 61′ 
66′ 
83′ 83′ 
69′ 
69′ 
79′ 
79′
