Head coach Stefano Pioli wants Milan to end the season on a high note even though the Serie A title race is lost and their place in the Champions League is already secured.
Milan are winless in their last six matches in all competitions, a dismal run that included a 2-1 loss to Inter which sealed a 20th Serie A title for their city rivals.
Second-placed Milan have 71 points, five ahead of third-placed Juventus with three matches to go.
"We want to get back to winning ways for us, for the club, for the fans," Pioli told reporters ahead of Saturday's match against 15th-placed Cagliari.
"Second place is an important goal and we are motivated to play this game.
"The squad is doing well, at the end of the season it is normal for some players to be more or less in form than one another and this will factor into my lineup.
"It would bother me if the squad weren't to bring all their energy to finish this season in the best way possible.
"No one has said they want to take it slow before the end of the season, the whole squad is ready and available."
Pioli said losing at Roma last month, which ended their Europa League campaign in the quarter finals, was his biggest regret of a trophyless season.
"We could have gone further," he said. "Losing the derbies also weighed heavily on us. We hoped to do better, in general, but I don't think the group ever lacked in their reaction."
A section of Milan fans have been holding protests at matches, demanding clarity from the management regarding the club's future plans after two seasons without silverware.
"My position and position of others will be spoken about after the games. We will see," said Pioli, who has been at the club since 2019 and won the Serie A title in 2022.
"In these years, the club has shown they know how to work and be ambitious.
"I believe that the highs and lows of a season are always shared between club, coach, and players."
Milan 3-0 Lecce: Quickfire goals seal Rossoneri triumph
Three goals in five first-half minutes was enough to see Milan earn a third consecutive Serie A win as they swept aside Lecce 3-0 at the San Siro.
An open start to proceedings saw Mike Maignan called into action to deny the visitors from taking the lead, with the French goalkeeper turning Nikola Krstovic's effort from distance around the post.
But Paulo Fonseca's side found the breakthrough in the 38th minute when Alvaro Morata nodded Theo Hernandez's teasing free-kick in off the crossbar.
Milan's opener saw a swagger emerge in their play, with the hosts doubling their advantage two minutes later when Rafael Leao's ball in behind the Lecce defence picked out Hernandez, who struck emphatically beyond Wladimiro Falcone.
But the quickfire blitz was not finished there. Tammy Abraham was twice denied in quick succession by the post and the palms of Falcone, with his second effort dropping fortuitously to Christian Pulisic who finished from close range.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek came closest to increasing Milan's lead after the break, clipping the crossbar with an attempted cross, with Davide Bartesaghi's sending off in the 80th minute taking the shine off an otherwise impressive showing from the Rossoneri.
Data Debrief: Fonseca finding his feet
After a difficult start to his Milan tenure, Fonseca has finally got his side playing, with their win over Lecce making it three consecutive wins in Serie A.
The hosts ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.59 from their 15 shots, six of which were on target.
Leao's assist for Hernandez's goal was his sixth goal involvement against Lecce (five goals and one assist), the most he has managed against a team in Serie A alongside Hellas Verona and Roma.
Only Barcelona (10) have scored more goals than Milan (nine) in the first half across Europe's top five major leagues so far this season.
Crystal Palace 0-7 Chelsea: Blues run riot to keep Bompastor perfect
Sonia Bompastor maintained her perfect start to life as Chelsea head coach as her side turned on the style in the second half to beat Crystal Palace 7-0 on Friday.
After Lauren James saw a goal ruled out, the Blues found their breakthrough in the 38th minute as Agnes Beever-Jones turned home Johanna Rytting Kaneryd's delivery.
Lucy Bronze handed the visitors the perfect start to the second half, guiding a strike into the far corner for her first Chelsea goal since her move from Barcelona.
The result was put beyond doubt just before the hour-mark as James finally got her name on the scoresheet, opening her account for the season from close range.
But the Blues were not done there. Guro Reiten struck beyond Shae Yanez for Chelsea's fourth, with Catarina Macario's corner then finished by Nathalie Bjorn.
Reiten notched her second in the 90th minute, with Macario adding gloss to an impressive showing from the defending champions as she capitalised on Yanez's parry to compound the newly-promoted Eagles to a second defeat of the season.
Data Debrief: Ruthless Blues clip Eagles' wings
After a battling display against Aston Villa on the opening day, Bompastor's side showcased the attacking ruthlessness that was missing a week ago.
James was a particular standout for the Blues, registering a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 0.95 to Chelsea's 2.47 total from her four shots during the encounter.
Chelsea ended the contest with 24 shots, 11 of which were on target, completing 56 touches inside the opposition's box compared to Palace's 12.
But for all of their attacking brilliance, Chelsea have now kept a clean sheet in each of their last five games in the Women's Super League. Their last longer run of games without conceding a goal in the competition was a run of six matches between February and April in 2021.
Philadelphia Union v Atlanta United: No margin for error with playoffs in sight, says Curtin
Jim Curtin knows Philadelphia Union have no margin for error as they chase a playoff spot, with Atlanta United next up for them in MLS.
The Union are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference, having put together big back-to-back wins against New York City FC (5-1) and D.C. United (4-0) in their last two matches.
They have now won three of their last four matches in the league, but Curtin warned his players that they cannot ease off the pressure until their playoff spot is secured.
"Every game is must win now. There's no margin for error for any team that isn't above the red line comfortably," Curtin said.
"The home games always become really critical. We've had a tough schedule, but all these points matter because anything could be the difference.
"There'll be a lot of highs and lows, and everybody still has hope and it's going to be a sprint to the finish. We recognise the challenge, but you have to say must-win until you're mathematically eliminated."
Meanwhile, Atlanta sit two places and three points below their opponents in the table after failing to win any of their last three matches.
They have drawn their last two outings 2-2 though, and interim head coach Rob Valentino is hoping they can take a more direct approach in an attempt to find a cutting edge.
"Do we really think we can play through? Then great, let's do it," Valentino said. "But if I think that we can be more direct and expose their centrebacks or expose a certain area of the pitch, let's go and do it.
"Let's not waste time with the ball. The intentional possession of what we're doing with it. I just want to make sure that we're intentional about what we're doing with the ball."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Philadelphia Union – Mikael Uhre
Mikael Uhre scored the opening goal in the Union's win over D.C. United on Sunday, his fourth straight match with a goal.
Uhre is the fifth player in Union history to score in four straight regular-season matches, though only one, Daniel Gazdag, has scored in five straight (August-September 2022).
Atlanta United – Edwin Mosquera
Edwin Mosquera's goal at 90+2' for Atlanta United on Saturday was the club's 11th goal from outside the box this season.
Only Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake (12 each) have more in 2024.
MATCH PREDICTION: PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN
The Union have won each of their last four regular-season home matches against Atlanta United. Atlanta's lone win at Subaru Park was a 2-0 victory in July 2018.
The Union have won two straight matches, winning each by a four-goal margin. This is the 15th time in MLS history a team has recorded back-to-back four-goal wins, including the second by the Union (August 2022), but no team has ever won three straight matches by four or more goals.
Meanwhile, Atlanta have won only two of their last 10 regular season matches (D3 L5) dating back to the beginning of July. Each of Atlanta's last two matches ended in 2-2 draws.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Philadelphia Union – 56.9%
Draw – 22.3%
Atlanta United – 20.8%
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
