No room for error – Milan continue their pursuit of their city rivals at the Leaning Tower

AC Milan head into Friday night’s trip to Pisa with one clear objective: three points, no excuses. The gap between the sides could hardly be wider, with the Rossoneri chasing the Scudetto and Pisa battling to stay afloat at the bottom of the table.

Stefano Pioli’s side currently trail city rivals Inter by eight points but have a game in hand, meaning victory would cut the deficit to five and keep the title race alive. Since a stunning opening-day loss to Cremonese, Milan have been relentless, stringing together a 22-match unbeaten run in Serie A—the longest active streak among Europe’s top five leagues. Their only setbacks this season have come in cup competitions, falling to Napoli in the Supercoppa and Lazio in the Coppa Italia.

A win in Tuscany would also mark one of Milan’s strongest campaigns in modern times, potentially giving them their second-highest points tally at this stage of a season in the 21st century, surpassed only by their dominant 2004 run. They arrive on the back of a convincing 3-0 victory over Bologna, a satisfying response after last year’s painful cup final loss to the same opponents.

With a postponed clash against Como and a crucial derby against Inter looming, Milan have had valuable time to rest and prepare. Any slip-up against Pisa would be costly. The reverse fixture ended 2-2, with a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser denying Pisa a historic win at San Siro, and the Tuscan side are still searching for their first-ever Serie A victory over the Rossoneri.

For Pisa, the situation is far more urgent. Six points adrift of safety, their return to the top flight has been a struggle, yielding just one win so far. The club recently parted ways with Alberto Gilardino, highlighting the pressure surrounding the relegation fight. Injuries continue to plague the squad, and goalkeeper Adrian Semper remains doubtful, while Marius Marin is suspended.

Milan, meanwhile, could welcome back key figures. Christian Pulisic is expected to return, Alexis Saelemaekers is pushing for fitness, and only Santiago Gimenez is ruled out. With fresh legs and depth at their disposal, anything less than a win would be seen as a major setback for the Rossoneri.

SERIE A - MATCHDAY 25

Friday

22.45: (6.00) Pisa (3.90) Milan (1.60)

Saturday

17.00: (1.75) Como (3.60) Fiorentina (4.90)

20.00: (3.35) Lazio (3.35) Atalanta (2.20)

22.45: (2.00) Inter (3.50) Juventus (4.10)

Sunday

14.30: (2.45) Udinese (3.10) Sassuolo (3.35)

17.00: (3.15) Cremonese (3.10) Genoa (2.55)

17.00: (2.35) Parma (3.00) Verona (3.70)

20.00: (3.35) Torino (3.40) Bologna (2.30)

22.45: (2.35) Napoli (3.10) Roma (3.30)

Monday

22.45: (2.20) Cagliari (3.15) Lecce (3.60)

***odds are subject to change***