AC Milan prepare to host Genoa with Massimiliano Allegri considering a rare joint start for Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic, as the Serie A title race tightens with the Rossoneri sitting one point behind rivals Inter ahead of a crucial San Siro fixture.
Allegri has only been able to start Leao and Pulisic together once this season, during the November derby against Inter, when the United States forward scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory that underlined Milan's attacking potential when both players are available.
Leao struck the winner in Milan's first league game of 2026, a 1-0 success at Cagliari, yet Allegri admitted the winger is still not fully fit, while Pulisic has been nursing a hamstring issue that continues to trouble the attacker
at different moments.
Allegri explained that neither attacker is at maximum sharpness but still expects disciplined work from both within the collective structure, stressing that Leao's main task remains finishing chances, with forwards generally assessed on goals, especially during a tight title campaign.
Leao has already scored six Serie A goals this season despite earlier calf and adductor problems that forced absences in the first part of the campaign, with Allegri viewing the coming months as essential for Milan to reach March in the best possible physical and mental condition.
Pulisic enters the match with an impressive scoring rate in Serie A, averaging a goal every 76 minutes played, while Leao averages one every 121 minutes, giving Milan the two most efficient scorers among players with at least five league goals this season.
Since joining Milan in the 2019-20 season, Leao has scored at least five Serie A goals in every campaign, making this the seventh straight year the forward reaches that mark, a consistency matched only by Lautaro Martinez and Riccardo Orsolini across the same time span.
Allegri hopes those numbers will translate into impact from the opening whistle against Genoa, saying he would like Leao and Pulisic to start together to accelerate their rhythm and understanding as Milan target strong momentum for the decisive stretch of the season.
"Let's see. They've played about 20 minutes together. If everything goes well today and tomorrow morning, they should start," Allegri confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday.
AC Milan vs Genoa form guide and tactical focus
The Rossoneri are unbeaten in 16 Serie A matches since losing on the opening weekend, collecting 11 wins and five draws, and they have claimed three victories in their last four home league games, keeping clean sheets in three of those San Siro fixtures.
Allegri noted that the coaching staff are working daily on Milan's style, targeting better passing quality, faster ball circulation and improved defending, with emphasis on balance in and out of possession as the squad aim to manage pressure later in the campaign.
Milan also boast a strong record against Genoa under Allegri, remaining unbeaten in seven league meetings with five wins and two draws, while only Bologna and Cagliari have faced Allegri's Milan more often in Serie A without defeating them.
Another day, another session, same goal Centro Sportivo Milanello powered by Clivet pic.twitter.com/gHRt6FgzlBAC Milan (@acmilan) January 6, 2026
Genoa arrive just above the relegation places in 17th position, two points ahead of Verona in 18th, having drawn 2-2 with Napoli on Wednesday after starting the calendar year with a 1-1 result against bottom side Pisa that halted a three-match losing sequence.
AC Milan vs Genoa players to watch and prediction
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot has become an important creative source for Milan, registering three Serie A assists this season, including two across the last two appearances, leaving the Frenchman one short of his best league total of four, set for Juventus in the 2022-23 campaign.
Rabiot could contribute to a goal in three consecutive Serie A matches for the first time since March aApril 2023, when the midfielder produced three goals and one assist in that run, adding another attacking option from deeper areas for Allegri.
For Genoa, Lorenzo Colombo carries a personal storyline, having played his first five Serie A games for Milan and already scored once against the Rossoneri, doing so for Monza on 18 February 2024, and the forward now seeks another strike against the former club.
Colombo scored against Pisa earlier this month and now has the chance to net in back-to-back top-flight appearances for the first time since a spell with Lecce, when the striker found the net in consecutive games between November 2022 and January 2023.
Historically, Genoa have struggled against Milan, winning only one of their last 15 Serie A meetings, with one win, four draws and 10 defeats, though they have avoided defeat in two of the last three league clashes, drawing twice across that short recent sequence.
That solitary Genoa win in the modern run came at San Siro on 8 March 2020, when the visitors secured a 2-1 success, a result that remains a reference point as Genoa attempt to challenge a Milan side carrying stronger form and greater squad depth into this contest.
OPTA data gives Milan a 64.7 per cent chance of victory, with a 20.5 per cent probability of a draw and 14.8 per cent for a Genoa win, figures that mirror the teams' contrasting form and league positions heading into this weekend's encounter.
| Outcome | OPTA win probability |
|---|---|
| AC Milan win | 64.7% |
| Draw | 20.5% |
| Genoa win | 14.8% |
Milan enter the match with control of momentum, key attackers nearing joint selection and defensive numbers improving, while Genoa rely on resilience, recent draws and the threat of Colombo to unsettle the hosts, yet overall trends continue to point towards Allegri's side.
