Castillejo crosses it into the area but it fails to drop to a team-mate as it rolls out of the box to the other side. Conti then picks it up and fires in a follow-up cross which Piatek can only head softly into Audero’s hands.
90' +1
M. Musacchio gets yellow.
Musacchio is shown a yellow card for dissent. During a break in play, the referee consulted VAR regarding the earlier Piatek penalty non-call but maintained his decision of no penalty – much to the fury of the Milan players.
87'
M. Gabbiadini enters the game and replaces F. Quagliarella.
It’s a rare goalless outing for Quagliarella who is given an ovation by the fans as he goes off, to be replaced by Gabbiadini.
86'
D. Praet gets yellow.
Praet is shown a yellow card for a mistimed tackle in midfield.
85'
Conti delivers a low cross into the area for Cutrone whose nifty backheel flick is clever, but not enough to outsmart Audero who makes the easy save.
84'
A Milan free-kick on the right fails to beat the first man, and the redelivery following the clearance ends play as Conti is unable to stay onside. More disappointing attacking from the Rossoneri as time ticks away.
79'
J. Jankto enters the game and replaces R. Vieira.
Substitution Ronaldo Vieira Nan Jakub Jankto
77'
Paqueta plays a beautiful pass through the Sampdoria defence for Cutrone, who manages to hold Colley off long enough to get a shot away – but the striker is unable to get it out of his feet as Audero comes off his line and slides to win the ball.
75'
Milan have had 74 minutes to try and equalise, though they have nothing to show for their efforts thus far. Gattuso’s changes have made a slightly positive impact, but the Rossoneri are nowhere near consistent enough in front of Audero to threaten a goal. With all his substitutions made, it’s up to this XI to get something from the match.
Minute
Description
71'
Lucas Paquetá enters the game and replaces L. Biglia.
Biglia is replaced by the forward-thinking Paqueta with just under 20 minutes remaining.
70'
Calhanoglu gets into the penalty area following a brilliant pass from Castillejo, but the Turkey international is dispossessed as he puts the ball onto his stronger right foot. It’s better from Milan, but they’re running out of time.
68'
The substitution from Milan is clearly a sign of attacking intent from Gattuso as he switches his team’s shape to accommodate two strikers. Both Piatek and Cutrone will be looking to get into the penalty area on the end of chances, but will the service be there to allow them to attack the ball?
66'
R. Saponara enters the game and replaces G. Ramírez.
That free-kick is Ramirez’s last involvement of the match, as former Milan player Saponara makes his way onto the pitch in his place.
Ramirez looks to try and get the ball into the far corner despite having heads to aim at in the penalty area, but he miscues his shot and sails it wide.
65'
T. Bakayoko gets yellow.
Bakayoko is shown a yellow card for a foul on Praet just outside his own penalty area, on the right-hand side.
64'
P. Cutrone enters the game and replaces Suso.
Suso is replaced by Cutrone with just under half an hour to make his mark.
62'
Suso runs at Sampdoria’s back line and pushes a pass forward for Conti, whose first-time cross is deflected out for a corner.
59'
Suso runs at goal following a quick switch of play but his left-footed shot from outside the area smacks off the back of Colley and rolls out for a corner.
56'
Quagliarella fashions a shot on the turn as he receives a pass following a throw-in, and manages to get a deflection which wins Sampdoria a corner.
54'
Suso tries the same tactic again, this time putting a low cross in instead of a shot, but it comes up similarly fruitless as Andersen knocks it away before Quagliarella wins a free-kick after physical play from Bakayoko.
52'
It’s a typical effort from Suso who gets possession on the right-edge of the penalty area before faking a shot and cutting inside, eventually taking a shot to the far post but it rolls comfortably wide for Audero to collect for a goal-kick.
50'
Conti – naturally a right-sided player – has gone over to right-back despite replacing Rodriguez, which puts Calabria at left-back despite his unfamiliarity with the role. If matters don’t improve, the introduction of Laxalt is likely to restore some balance to the XI.
48'
Conti runs towards goal but loses possession to Ramirez and gives away a foul in a sloppy attempt to get it back.
46'
A. Conti enters the game and replaces R. Rodríguez.
Sampdoria get the match restarted from the kick-off!
45' +1
HALF-TIME: SAMPDORIA 1-0 MILAN.
43'
Suso cuts inside again but switches play instead of shooting – finding Rodriguez on the left but the full-back’s cross is completely mishit and sails over the crossbar for a goal-kick, despite three targets to aim at in the penalty area.
41'
Sampdoria have a corner on the right-hand side, but the in-swinging delivery is punched away by Donnarumma, who wins a free-kick after taking some contact.
37'
R. Vieira gets yellow.
Viera is shown a yellow card for a mistimed challenge on Bakayoko following a Milan goal-kick.
35'
A Milan corner is again taken short, this time with Rodriguez as the outlet on the left. The full-back swings in a cross, but he sails it above the heads of his team-mates and out for a goal-kick.
33'
Milan win back possession in midfield through Castillejo, but he is once again forced to check it back to the defence instead of playing it forward. The Rossoneri are forced to defend in numbers, and don’t have the requisite outlets up the pitch to hit on the counter. It’s all very slow and obvious from Gattuso’s side.
31'
Calhanoglu is on the end of a short-corner routine and hoists it into the penalty area looking for the head of Romagnoli, but Audero steps up and makes the easy leaping catch.
27'
Milan have had their first real chance of the game, but Sampdoria remain fully in control as they knock it about in midfield, looking to shift Milan’s defence from left to right.
25'
Samu Castillejo gets yellow.
Castillejo is shown a yellow card for arguing for a penalty after there appeared to be a handball from Praet in the build-up to the earlier Suso chance. The referee disagrees and instead books the Milan player for dissent.
24'
Suso feints and attempts to put the ball back on his stronger left foot on the right-hand side of the penalty area, rejecting an easy crossing opportunity with his right, but he slips and goes down in discomfort under close marking from Murru. The referee rightly gives a goal-kick as yet another Milan attack fades to nothing.
22'
Milan almost make another mistake in front of their own goal as Mussachio’s pass from inside his penalty area is closed down by Quagliarella, who puts it back towards Donnarumma before the centre-back regains control of the ball and makes a desperate pass out to the right for Calabria. The Rossoneri are extremely fortunate not to be two-goals down – they’ve been terrible in possession.
20'
Despite the early error, Milan are still looking to play it out from the back. Donnarumma is trusting his full-backs to take the ball down cleanly and beat their man, but it hasn’t proved an extremely useful tactic to this point.
18'
Viera takes the corner but Castillejo gets off the near post and makes the first contact – knocking it out of his penalty area with a powerful header.
15'
Suso gets yellow.
Suso receives the ball on the right and cuts inside as he tends to do, but he slips on the wet turf and slides into Ramirez. It looks a nasty tackle but it’s clearly unintentional. Sstill, referee Daniele Orsato opts to show Suso a yellow card.
13'
Castillejo takes Milan’s first corner of the match, but it fails to beat the first man at the near post and it’s cleared downfield and kept in play by the industrious run of Sala.
11'
Suso is unable to send a return pass down the flank for Calabria due to his dependence on his left foot, but he wins a free-kick as Linetty is too physical in closing the Milan forward down.
9'
Castillejo plays an early ball into the penalty area for Piatek who takes it down well before attempting to round the goalkeeper and put it in the net – but Audero is able to tip it just wide. After the action is over, however, the referee blows his whistle as it appeared the Milan striker’s hand touched the ball during his attempt to control the aerial pass. It’s a free-kick for Sampdoria.
7'
Calhanoglu receives a pass in midfield from Musacchio and looks to spray a pass forward down the right but Suso stops his run and it goes out disappointingly for a Sampdoria throw.
5'
Defrel takes an early strike at Donnarumma’s goal but he hits the goalkeeper square in the chest.
3'
Milan conceded three minutes into their derby game against Inter, and it’s another horrible start here as the Rossoneri gift their hosts an opening-minute goal! It’s going to be a testing day at the Marassi for Gattuso’s side.
1'
G. Defrel has scored a goal for Sampdoria!
Milan get the match underway from the kick-off!
SAMPDORIA TAKE THE LEAD THROUGH A DONNARUMMA HOWLER! 1-0 what a start! A backpass from Musacchio to the goalkeeper is closed down well by Defrel, and Donnarumma casually puts it right into the path of the Sampdoria striker who tucks it into the empty net with his first touch! It’s a horrible start for Milan!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE Serie A coverage of the fixture between Sampdoria and AC Milan!
Sampdoria’s last match before the international break was a scintillating 5-3 victory over Sassuolo which furthered the distance between themselves and Fiorentina in 10th. The eight-goal thriller featured a superb finish by the ever-youthful Fabio Quagliarella – his league-leading 21st of the season. To cap off his run of five goals in his last four matches in Serie A, the 36-year old netted twice for Italy in their 6-0 thrashing of Liechtenstein.
The international break gave Milan just short of two weeks to reflect on their Derby della Madonnina defeat to Inter, which saw the Nerazzurri retake third place in the table. The loss at San Siro was the Rossoneri’s first in 10 matches in the league, and their three goals conceded the highest since a 3-2 defeat in Naples in August.
With Fiorentina comfortably in the rearview mirror, Marco Giampaolo can set his sights up the table with 10 matches remaining. Lazio on 45 points in sixth place – and a Europa League spot – is still within a single victory’s reach for the Genoa-based club and would prove a tremendous feat.
History proves promising in this fixture for Milan, who have won 15 of their 26 matches at the Luigi Ferraris, losing just four times. The hosts currently own the second-worst defensive record in the top-half of Serie A, which could be exploited by the former Genoa striker Krzysztof Piatek. With Inter playing Sunday evening, three points for Gennaro Gattuso’s squad would – at least temporarily – put Milan back into third place.
SAMPDORIA XI (4-3-1-2): Emil Audero; Nicola Murru, Omar Colley, Joachim Andersen, Jacopo Sala; Karol Linetty, Ronaldo Viera, Dennis Praet; Gaston Ramirez; Gregoire Defrel, Fabio Quagliarella.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, the team news has been confirmed! Let's start with the home side.
MILAN SUBS: Jose Reina, Lucas Paqueta, Cristian Zapata, Diego Laxalt, Mattia Caldara, Antonio Donnarumma, Patrick Cutrone, Fabio Borini, Franck Kessie, Ignazio Abate, Andrea Conti, Andrea Bertolacci.
MILAN XI (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Davide Calabria, Mateo Musacchio, Alessio Romagnoli, Ricardo Rodriguez; Lucas Biglia, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Hakan Calhanoglu; Suso, Krzysztof Piatek, Samu Castillejo.
SAMPDORIA SUBS: Manolo Gabbiadini, Vid Belec, Junior Tavares, Riccardo Saponara, Jakub Jankto, Lorenzo Tonelli, Alex Ferrari, Marco Sau, Rafael Cabral, Bartosz Bereszynski.
Milan make two changes from the XI that lost 3-2 to Inter before the international break – both in midfield as Biglia is in for Kessie and Castillejo replaces Lucas Paqueta.
Sampdoria should feel comfortable in the lead, as they’ve played very well in the first half and pressed Milan into a number of awkward situations. They have controlled the match from the outset and should feel comfortable in defence despite pushing for a second. Gattuso will no doubt be expressing his feelings on the match thus far to his team during the interval, though it may not be enough. The Rossoneri’s lethargy may only be cured with a substitution – as one of Lucas Paqueta, Cutrone or Borini look certain of a second-half introduction.
Gattuso does make a change at half-time as Rodriguez is replaced by Conti.
That concludes our coverage of the Serie A fixture between Sampdoria and Milan! We hope you enjoyed it!
Sampdoria are in action again on Wednesday when they face Torino. Milan will look to put another bad result behind them when they host Udinese on Tuesday.
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