Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Match Preview
Serie A action concludes on Monday, 12 January 2026, with a high-stakes clash at the Stadio Artemio Franchi as relegation-threatened Fiorentina host title-chasing AC Milan. The Viola are enduring a nightmare season, sitting 19th with just 13 points, though they showed fighting spirit in a 2–2 draw against Lazio just days ago. They face an AC Milan side (2nd, 39 points) that is battling fatigue and a sudden injury crisis in attack. The Rossoneri were held to a frustrating 1–1 draw by Genoa on Friday and will be desperate to get back to winning ways to keep their Scudetto hopes alive, despite missing their two star forwards.
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Match Info
- Competition: Serie A (Matchday 20)
- Venue: Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence (Capacity: 43,147)
- Date: Monday, 12 January 2026
- Kickoff: 20:45 CET | 19:45 GMT | 14:45 ET
- Referee: TBC (AIA Appointment)
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Match Stakes
Fiorentina (19th — 13 pts):
- Win → Moves to 16 pts; potentially climbs out of the bottom three if other results go their way.
- Draw → A valuable point against a top team; builds momentum after the Lazio result.
- Loss → Remains stuck in the relegation zone; gap to safety could widen.
AC Milan (2nd — 39 pts):
- Win → Moves to 42 pts; keeps the pressure on the league leaders.
- Draw → Second consecutive draw; risks falling out of the title race.
- Loss → A shock defeat; allows Inter/Napoli to pull away and invites Juventus to close the gap.
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Team News
Fiorentina:
- Lamptey T. — Out (Knee Injury)
- Fazzini J. — Questionable (Ankle Injury)
- Richardson A. — Questionable (Inactive – Possibly AFCON)
- Dzeko E. — Questionable (Foot Injury – Veteran Presence Missing)
- Lineup Note: With Edin Dzeko doubtful, Roberto Piccoli leads the line, supported by Albert Gudmundsson. David De Gea continues in goal as the team’s MVP this season.
AC Milan:
- Gimenez S. — Out (Ankle Injury – Top Scorer Missing)
- Nkunku C. — Out (Ankle Injury – Key Creator Missing)
- Attack Decimated: With both Santi Gimenez and Christopher Nkunku out, Rafael Leão is forced to play centrally as a striker, with Christian Pulisic and youngster Davide Bartesaghi providing width.
- Midfield Power: The veteran Luka Modric anchors the midfield alongside Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Adrien Rabiot.
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Fiorentina
- 08/01 — 2–2 vs Lazio (Serie A)
- 04/01 — 1–0 vs Cremonese (Serie A)
- 27/12 — 0–1 vs Parma (Serie A)
- 21/12 — 5–1 vs Udinese (Serie A)
- 19/12 — 0–1 vs Lausanne (UECL)
AC Milan
- 09/01 — 1–1 vs Genoa (Serie A)
- 03/01 — 1–0 vs Cagliari (Serie A)
- 28/12 — 3–0 vs Verona (Serie A)
- 19/12 — 0–2 vs Napoli (Supercoppa)
- 14/12 — 2–2 vs Sassuolo (Serie A)
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 20/10/2025 — AC Milan 2–1 Fiorentina (Serie A)
- 06/04/2025 — AC Milan 2–2 Fiorentina (Serie A)
- 07/10/2024 — Fiorentina 2–1 AC Milan (Serie A)
- 31/03/2024 — Fiorentina 1–2 AC Milan (Serie A)
- 26/11/2023 — AC Milan 1–0 Fiorentina (Serie A)
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Fiorentina (4-4-1-1)
De Gea; Dodo, Comuzzo, Pongracic, Gosens; Parisi, Mandragora, Fagioli, Ndour; Gudmundsson; Piccoli
AC Milan (3-5-2 / 3-4-3 Hybrid)
Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leão
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Impact Bench
Fiorentina: Sottil (Pace), Beltran (Goal threat)
AC Milan: Camarda (Young striker option), Chukwueze (Dribbling vs tired legs)
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Tactical Analysis
Fiorentina
Raffaele Palladino’s side has been leaking goals (30 conceded), but they have found some attacking rhythm recently (scoring 8 in their last 4 league games). They will try to overload the flanks using Dodo and Fabiano Parisi. With Milan playing a makeshift formation, Fiorentina will look to press their back three and test Mike Maignan from distance via Nicolò Fagioli.
AC Milan
Without a recognized senior striker, Milan must adapt. Rafael Leão will play as a mobile forward, drifting wide to create space for Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to make runs into the box. Luka Modric will control the tempo, but Milan must be careful of Fiorentina’s counter-attacks. The heavy defensive line (Pavlovic, De Winter, Tomori) suggests they will try to keep a clean sheet and win by a single moment of magic.
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Key Battles
- Leão vs Dodo — Brazilian vs Brazilian. Pure speed on the wing.
- Gudmundsson vs Modric — Fiorentina’s playmaker trying to escape the veteran’s shadow.
- Piccoli vs Pavlovic — Physical battle in the box.
- De Gea vs Pulisic — Can the Spanish legend stop Captain America?
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Spotlight Players
Fiorentina — David De Gea
The former Man United keeper has been busy this season. Against a Milan side desperate to score, he will need to produce another masterclass to earn his team a point.
AC Milan — Rafael Leão
With Gimenez and Nkunku out, Leão is the main man. He needs to stop drifting in and out of games and take responsibility for the attack. If he plays well, Milan wins. If he goes missing, they drop points.
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Prediction
Fiorentina 1–1 AC Milan
Milan are running on fumes (playing 3 days after the Genoa draw) and missing their best goalscorers. Fiorentina are fighting for survival and have home advantage. Expect a gritty, disjointed game where individual brilliance (Leão or Gudmundsson) cancels each other out. A draw helps neither side but feels inevitable.
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Betting Insights
- Under 2.5 Goals — High Probability (Milan missing strikers; Fiorentina struggling).
- Both Teams to Score — YES.
- Double Chance — Fiorentina or Draw (Value Bet).
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — Where to Watch
- Italy: DAZN
- USA: Paramount+
- UK: TNT Sports
Fiorentina vs AC Milan — FAQs
Q: When is the Fiorentina vs AC Milan match?
A: The match kicks off on Monday, 12 January 2026, at 20:45 CET.
Q: Is Santi Gimenez playing?
A: No. He is out with an ankle injury.
Q: Is Christopher Nkunku playing?
A: No. He is also ruled out with an ankle injury.
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