Como-Milan: Match Preview

There are a few similarities in the way Como and AC Milan approach this rescheduled Matchday 16 fixture in Serie A Enilive. Both teams drew 1–1 in their previous outing, and in both cases the equaliser arrived in the closing moments of the match.

Como earned a valuable point against Bologna thanks to a fine strike from Martin Baturina in the 94th minute, while Milan, having fallen behind in Florence, drew level against Fiorentina at the death through Christopher Nkunku.

The two sides now meet at the Sinigaglia in a match originally postponed due to Milan’s Italian Super Cup commitments. It represents an important opportunity for both teams: Como will be looking to continue their positive run of results, while Milan will be aiming to build momentum after two recent draws. Thursday night’s game under the lights at the Sinigaglia is set to be a closely fought contest.

Here are the words of Como 1907 head coach Cesc Fàbregas ahead of Como-Milan:

“Tomorrow we’ll need a top-level performance, built on continuity in our football, our development and our identity. Playing matches of this importance is crucial at this stage of the journey. We’ll have to show the very best version of ourselves if we want to win. 

“Right now, our preparation mainly involves video analysis, clear messages, and precise ideas. Playing every three or four days is a challenge, but the team is adapting and learning to manage this intensity.”

“In the final moments of a match, mentality becomes decisive. Top teams never give up, they show pride and courage right to the final whistle. That’s the winning mindset we need to build in a young group that is growing and learning with every game. Being champions isn’t just about winning; it’s about responding to adversity and believing until the very end.”

Milan

AC Milan arrive at the Sinigaglia in second place in the table, just three points behind leaders Inter. In 2026, following their win away at Cagliari on 2 January, the Rossoneri have found things more challenging in their next two fixtures, rescuing a 92nd-minute draw against Genoa and a 90th-minute equaliser against Fiorentina. Those matches highlighted some difficulties, particularly in front of goal.

That said, Milan remain an extremely solid side and have consistently risen to the occasion in high-profile matches this season, securing league victories against Bologna, Napoli, Roma, Inter and Lazio. Their approach is built on a compact, resilient style of football, focused on winning the ball close to their own penalty area before exploiting the work of the wing-backs and the two forwards to apply vertical pressure on the opposition.

The Rossoneri’s back three, constantly supported during the ball-recovery phase by the three central midfielders, usually Fofana, Modrić and Rabiot, with frequent contributions from Jashari, Ricci and Loftus-Cheek, have several options once possession is regained. They can carry the ball forward through the driving runs of Rabiot and Fofana, switch play wide to the wing-backs Saelemaekers and Bartesaghi, both noted for their athleticism, or play early vertical passes to attackers such as Leão, Pulisic or Nkunku, all of whom excel at exploiting space with their physical and athletic qualities.

Milan are particularly dangerous when attacking space and breaking at pace on the counter. They are very effective at committing numbers into and around the opposition penalty area, making full use of the physical presence of their players in both defensive and attacking phases. Another recurring pattern this season has been Pavlović’s role in building play from the back: Milan often rely on the Serbian defender’s dynamism to drive forward down the left flank, attacking with three players on that side and creating numerical superiority alongside Bartesaghi and Leão.

Despite some recent struggles, Milan boast the joint second-best attack in the league, level with Napoli on 30 goals scored, and the third-best defence, behind Roma and Como, having conceded just 15 goals. The match at the Sinigaglia promises to be a high-level contest between two sides with very different playing styles, both of whom have stood out this season for the positive results they have achieved.

Previous encounters

Of the 17 matches played at Sinigaglia between Como and Milan, the balance sheet shows three wins for the Lariani, five draws, and nine wins for the Rossoneri. In the last match between the two teams on the shores of Lake Como, on January 14, 2025, Milan managed to win 1-2, with goals from Leao and Theo Hernandez overturning Assane Diao’s initial lead.

Como’s last win at Sinigaglia against Milan dates back to the 1981/82 season, when goals from Mossini and Badirari gave the hosts a 2-0 victory.

Squad:

1  BUTEZ Jean

2  KEMPF Marc

3  VALLE Alex 

4  DOSSENA Alberto

6  CAQUERET Maxence

8  ROBERTO Sergi

10 PAZ Nicolas 

11 DOUVIKAS Tasos

14 RAMON Jacobo

17 RODRIGUEZ Jesus 

18 MORENO Alberto

19 KUHN Nicolas

20 BATURINA Martin

21 TORNQVIST Noel

22 VIGORITO Mauro

23 PERRONE Maximo

27 POSCH Stefan

28 SMOLCIC Ivan 

31 VOJVODA Mërgim 

33 DA CUNHA Lucas

34 DIEGO CARLOS

55 LE BORGNE Andrea

77 VAN DER BREMPT Ignace

99 CERRI Alberto

Match details

• Date: Thursday, January 15, 2026
• Kick-off: 20:45 CEST
• Stadium: Giuseppe Sinigaglia
• Referee: Guida
• Assistants: Lo Cicero – Yoshikawa

Where to watch

• Italy: Dazn
• Balkans: Arena Sport
• USA: CBS, DAZN 
• Latin America: ESPN & Disney +
• South Korea: SPOTV
• Rest of the world: Check local listings.