AC Milan host Bologna at San Siro on 28 October 2026, looking to extend an eight game unbeaten Serie A run and tighten their grip on fourth place. Ruben Amorim's side have 18 points from eight matches, no league defeat yet and the joint best defensive record in the division after conceding just seven goals. The timing matters too, with Inter coming to town next weekend, so three points here would give Milan breathing room and momentum heading into the derby. Bologna are 13th on eight points and have looked more settled since Raffaele Palladino arrived in mid September, though a result here would do more than confirm progress, lifting them clear of the lower half entirely.
This is the first time Amorim and Palladino have faced each other in these jobs but Palladino is not coming in blind against this club. He has won three of seven meetings with Milan sides, including a 3-2 win at San Siro in May 2026 where his team sat back and exploited the space behind Milan's full backs. That blueprint, a compact block with the ball played over the top, is almost certainly his starting point on Tuesday.
Milan's last five reads DWDWW, with the most recent a disciplined 2-0 win at Udinese on 25 October that relied on structured possession and clean transitions, whereas Bologna are LDWLW, their form revived by a 2-0 win at Cagliari on 24 October.
Milan's injury list is long and genuinely inconvenient. Chukwueze (hip), Gabbia (thigh), Saelemaekers (ankle), Gila (ankle) and Loftus-Cheek (thigh) are all out, with Rabiot (calf) and Moreira (thigh) both doubtful. That is a substantial chunk of the squad gone, particularly in wide areas and central midfield, which puts the burden squarely on Christian Pulisic to generate something in tight spaces. Bologna are missing Piccoli, Orsolini and Holm through thigh or hamstring issues, leaving them with no natural right flank runner and probably pushing the burden onto Juan Miranda's overlapping runs from the left.
Amorim has mostly worked with a 3-4-2-1, though with several wide players and midfielders unavailable, Pulisic is likely to drift inside from the right and combine centrally, trying to pull Bologna's block apart rather than go around it. Bologna tend to set up in a 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3, with Lewis Ferguson anchoring the middle and Miranda providing the attacking outlet on the left. Losing Orsolini and Holm limits their threat down the right, so Ferguson may drop into the space in front of Milan's midfield to collect the ball and release the wide forwards in behind. The key duel is Pulisic against Bologna's left sided defenders, if he gets in behind them, Milan will create. Milan's defensive solidity comes from positioning and shape rather than high pressing, which is probably exactly what Palladino wants: let them have the ball, then punish Milan the moment they push men forward and leave space behind.
Milan have been dominant against Bologna at San Siro in recent years, including a 3-0 win in February 2026, though the May 2026 3-2 defeat at this ground is the result that shapes how both teams approach Tuesday.
With Milan's injury list thinning their aerial options at dead balls, delivery and movement matter more than usual. Bologna can threaten through Ferguson in the air and Miranda's crosses from the left and they will be hoping any disorganisation in Milan's defensive shape shows up when the game slows down. It is a thread worth watching even if it is not where the match is most likely to be decided.
We are going with 2-1 to Milan. Their unbeaten run, defensive discipline and Pulisic's movement through the middle should be enough to win without needing to be at their best. Without Orsolini and Holm, Bologna have no obvious way to stretch Milan's defensive shape from wide, making it hard to see how they sustain any pressure on the backline. We would expect Milan to score from open play and a set piece while conceding once on the counter, meaning they go into the Inter game with momentum and a three point buffer over fifth place.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
