AC Milan were held to a draw away to Cagliari after a topsy-turvy 3-3 draw in which both Rafael Leao and Gabriele Zappa scored twice for their respective teams on Saturday.

Following the result, Milan occupy seventh place in Serie A, while Cagliari are 16th – one point above the relegation zone.

Nadir Zortea got things going for the hosts, volleying in from a corner after just 65 seconds. But their joy was short-lived, with Leao notching in the 15th and 40th minutes to turn things round.

Cagliari had a goal from Nicolas Viola ruled out following a VAR review in first-half stoppage time, but they got level eight minutes into the second half.

Zappa's first temporarily restored parity before Tammy Abraham had Milan back in front on 69 minutes.

Things weren't done there though, with Zappa netting his second in the 89th minutes to secure what could be a vital point for Cagliari.

Data debrief: Milan go goal crazy

This was the third time in five matches in all competitions that Milan have scored three goals, following 3-1 victories over Real Madrid and Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Paulo Fonseca's side are the top scorers outside the top five in Serie A with 20 goals in 11 matches.

But they now need to work on keeping them out at the other end, with the 14 they have conceded being the equal-most in the top seven.

Paulo Fonseca downplayed the significance of next week's Champions League clash with Real Madrid following Milan's gritty 1-0 away win over Monza.

Milan are seventh in Serie A following Saturday's win, which came courtesy of a Tijjani Reijnders header.

The Rossoneri, who have been crowned champions of Europe on seven occasions, are 25th in the new-look Champions League standings, having taken three points from their opening three matches.

But Fonseca did not think his team would be overawed at the prospect of facing 15-time European champions Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

"I am always fired up for every game and do not think that Real Madrid is any more important than what we played tonight," Fonseca told Sky Sports Italia.

"I strongly believe in teamwork. Nowadays, football is challenging; we need to function as a team at all times, and that’s what we’re striving to achieve."

Speaking to DAZN, Fonseca added: "On Tuesday, we face Real, but it doesn't matter if it's Real Madrid or any other team; we need points to improve our position in the standings. I hope it will be a great night for all of us."

While Monza dominated the first half, they could not find the margins to score. Milan rallied in the second half, with Fonseca acknowledging that the first-half performance was below par.

"I was concerned in the first half as we weren’t aggressive enough and didn’t win enough individual duels, but I don’t really remember Monza's chances in the second half," Fonseca said.

"We adjusted what we needed to do during the half-time break and it was a totally different game after that."

Substitute Rafael Leao entered the match late and came close to scoring twice in the closing stages.

"He came on well, it is important to have this reaction from Rafa and that's what I want to see. I think he is ready to play in Madrid," Fonseca said.

Napoli won 2-0 away to AC Milan on Tuesday to extend their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points.

The visitors struck twice in the first half through Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to seal their victory and put more space between themselves and second-placed Inter Milan.

Hosts Milan were rocked by Lukaku's goal, which came in the fifth minute and was his fourth of the season, while Napoli never looked back afterwards.

Antonio Conte's side scored a second with a wonderful curling effort from Kvaratskhelia that killed the game as a contest.

Milan did have an Alvaro Morata goal ruled out two minutes into the second half after a VAR review for offside, but that was the closest they came among a handful of decent opportunities.

But league leaders Napoli were able to hold on for their fifth consecutive league victory, which was also their ninth without defeat. Milan stay eighth on 14 points.

Data debrief: Dominant Napoli are challenging for another Scudetto

Tuesday's victory puts Napoli on 25 points after 10 matches, which is almost half of their entire total (53) from the 2023-24 season.

The match was also their seventh clean sheet in their last eight matches in all competitions, while they have conceded the equal-fewest goals (five) in Serie A.

They are unbeaten since losing against Hella Verona on the opening day and have won eight of their nine league games since.

AC Milan manager Paulo Fonseca was unwilling to rule his team out of title contention following their 2-0 home defeat to Serie A leaders Napoli, who now lead them by 11 points, on Tuesday.

While Milan have a game in hand over their victors, it's a considerable gap to bridge even having played just nine matches so far this season.

That is especially true when they have already lost three times, but Fonseca was not going to give up on the dream after being asked if it was still the objective after the match.

"I can't say the opposite, especially seeing how we played. How the team responded to a difficult moment and how it showed unity even without important players," Fonseca told DAZN.

Milan had to cope without key players including Theo Hermandez and Tijjani Reijnders against Napoli and their manager thinks they they will improve,

"No team has won the league after nine games and none has lost it after nine games," he said.

"For this reason, we must continue on the path of growth. Clearly we will need results to enter this fight."

Fonseca accepted the blame for the defeat to Napoli, but did say that he was happy with how his team responded after Romelu Lukaku put the visitors in front after just five minutes.

"I'm always responsible for what happens on the pitch and once again I take this responsibility," he said.

"It's not easy to start the game with a Napoli goal after five minutes, but if we look at the result, they scored two goals and we created the chances.

"The team had a good reaction at the beginning of the game, we played positive football with quality.

"It's not easy against a Napoli team that... defends in front of its penalty area."

Tijjani Reijnders scored twice as Milan secured their first points in the Champions League this season with a 3-1 win over 10-man Club Brugge. 

Against the run of play, Christian Pulisic put the hosts ahead in the 34th minute, scoring an audacious effort directly from a corner kick. 

Brugge were then reduced to 10 men shortly after, when midfielder Raphael Onyedika was sent off for a foul on Reijnders following a lengthy VAR check.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Brugge pulled level after the break, with Kyriana Sabbe picking out the bottom corner with a low strike. 

However, Reijnders restored Milan's lead in the 61st minute with a simple first-time finish from around the penalty spot, before sealing the win with a similar effort 10 minutes later.

Francesco Camarda thought he had added some gloss to the scoreline late on, but his looping header over Simon Mignolet was scored from an offside position, and it was chalked off following a VAR review.

Milan are up to 18th with that win, while Club Brugge drop to 24th, though both are still in the play-off places.

Data Debrief: A slice of history

With the points already wrapped up for Milan, Camarda entered the fray. Aged 16 years and 226 days, he is the youngest debutant for Milan in the Champions League, and the youngest Italian player to feature in the competition, overtaking Moise Kean (16y 268d).

He thought he had written his name into the history books in the dying minutes too, and if his goal had stood, he would have become the youngest-ever scorer in the competition.

Instead, it was Reijnders' day. He is just the third Dutchman to score 2+ goals in a single Champions League match for Milan, after Marco van Basten in 1992 (four against IFK Goteborg) and Clarence Seedorf in 2007 (two versus Shakhtar Donetsk).

AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca praised his team's resilience in overcoming the challenge of playing a man down during Saturday's narrow home win against Udinese.

Milan won 1-0 in the Serie A clash at home after an early goal from Samuel Chukwueze, despite being reduced to 10 men following Tijjani Reijnders' red card at the half-hour mark.

"I must say that the game had two parts. The first one until minute 30 when we received a red card," Fonseca told DAZN.

"We played 30 minutes with great personality and quality. It was close to my idea. After the red card, it was a game made of team spirit.

"We suffered, but we suffered together. If there was any doubt on whether this team was united, today we proved we are."

Fonseca believed his side deserved the win, despite Udinese having two goals disallowed, one from Kingsley Ehizibue and another from Christian Kabasele following a tight offside call.

"It would have been unfair for the team. We had the best chances and it would have been unfair not to win this game. The team deserved these three points," he said.

The former Roma boss also praised midfielder Christian Pulisic for his effort, including an assist and his defensive work, after Reijnders got sent off.

"Christian's game was fantastic. This is the spirit that we must always have," he said.

For Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic, the defeat was a bitterly disappointing affair as his side failed to take the opportunity of their numerical advantage.

"I'm not a referee. I am the coach. It’s senseless to say anything," Runjaic said about the two disallowed goals.

"Even with a man up, it was not easy against a team that defended deep. We needed patience, good passing rhythm and circulation and a bit of luck.

"Surely I don’t like the result because it was possible to go home with a draw." 

Ten-man Milan held on to secure a 1-0 home win over Udinese thanks to Samuel Chukwueze's early goal.

Chukwueze struck low into the corner from a Christian Pulisic assist in the 13th minute of Saturday's Serie A contest at San Siro.

Yet the challenge of holding onto that lead was made much tougher when midfielder Tijjani Reijnders was sent off.

Netherlands international Reijnders received his marching orders in the 29th minute after colliding with Sandi Lovric, who was through on goal.

Milan are third in the league standings with 14 points, equal with Inter Milan in second and two behind leaders Napoli.

Udinese pushed to exploit their numerical advantage in the second half and they found the net through Christian Kabasele deep into stoppage time.

However, after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was disallowed for offside, ensuring the win for Milan.

Data Debrief: Captain America

Milan star Pulisic is the only player to have scored 10+ goals (17) and provided 10+ assists (11) from the beginning of last season in Serie A.

In fact, only Chelsea's Cole Palmer (44 – 28G, 16A) has been directly involved in more goals than Pulisic (28 – 17G, 11A) of midfielders in the big five European Leagues from the beginning of 2023-24.

Milan had to do it the hard way following Reijnders' dismissal. Only Bologna (54) have received more red cards than Milan in the last 10 Serie A campaigns (53).

Paulo Fonseca has no intention of changing a winning side, believing continuity is the key for Milan as they prepare to face Fiorentina.

Milan went without a win in their first three Serie A matches under Fonseca, but look to have found their groove in the league after winning each of the last three. 

The Portuguese head coach is aiming to rack up four consecutive Serie A wins for just the second time in his career (after July-August 2020 with Roma), but Milan do go into this match on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

Fonseca looks set to stick with the side which won the derby with Inter and also beat Lecce last time out, meaning a return to the starting lineup for Spanish striker Alvaro Morata, who started on the bench against the Bundesliga champions. 

"Continuity is important right now," Fonseca told reporters.

"If the squad is in good form, it's important to keep as many players as possible in the 11 starters. That's not because I don't have faith in the others, but right now, I believe it is important to have a base.

"Morata is fine, he will play [on Sunday]."

Fonseca's stance means Strahinja Pavlovic will likely remain on the bench, despite the Serbian defender impressing when he played the full 90 minutes in the three league games prior to the derby.

"It is important to have stability mainly in defence," Fonseca added. "[Matteo] Gabbia and [Fikayo] Tomori have played some great games and I think Pavlovic must continue to work because he will have opportunities," Fonseca said.

"The two central players, Gabbia and Tomori, are doing well, and I think it's important to continue like this."

Milan were outplayed in the first half against Leverkusen on Tuesday, having only one shot compared to the hosts' 10, with six of those shots on target, though they did improve after conceding early in the second half.

The Rossoneri have now won just one of their last seven away Champions League games, also drawing three and losing three, so despite their positive league run, Fonseca is still looking for big improvements in his squad.

"Leverkusen are one of the strongest teams in Europe. We are in a period of growth," he said.

"Winning against Inter and Lecce doesn't mean we have arrived, we need to grow a lot. We are improving, but we have a lot more to improve. The real Milan is not yet close. We have to do more.

"We can have the same attitude as in the second half in Germany, but maybe the way of playing will be different because Fiorentina mark man to man, so our style will be different."

Paulo Fonseca viewed Milan's display in their Champions League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen as their best performance of the season.

Milan went down 1-0 at BayArena on Tuesday, meaning they have now lost both of their matches so far in the new-look competition.

The seven-time European champions are now winless across their last six matches against German opposition in major competitions (D4 L2) since a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in April 2007.

Milan came on strong after Victor Boniface's goal early in the second half, though prior to that had been by far second best, mustering only one shot and 0.04 expected goals (xG) in the opening 45 minutes.

They hit the woodwork in the second half while Lukas Hradecky made a smart stop to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and despite the rather grim match statistics, Fonseca believes his team turned in their best display of the campaign.

"We didn't win, but it's the game I've liked the most since I arrived here," Fonseca told Sky Sport.

"Especially in the second half. We played a fantastic game, it's not easy against a team like Leverkusen.

"We are sad and disappointed with the result, but I am satisfied with the courage and form shown.

"It was difficult for us. In the first half we suffered on the wings."

In the closing minutes, Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie made a challenge on Loftus-Cheek at the edge of the area, which the Milan boss believes should have resulted in a penalty.

"For me it's a penalty, it's an intervention on the line," Fonseca said. "What's strange is that they haven't even reviewed the situation. The referee during the game had no doubts, but I don't like to talk about the referee."

Speaking to Milan TV, Fonseca said his side deserved to get something from the game.

"I honestly think the result is not fair, in the second half we created many clear chances," he said.

"It's true that we didn't win, but there was an improvement in our growth. It was evident. This is why we must move forward, because the growth is evident." 

Paulo Fonseca insists AC Milan's derby victory over rivals Inter is "irrelevant" unless the Rossoneri beat Lecce on Friday.

Milan claimed bragging rights in Derby della Madonnina on Sunday, with Matteo Gabbia's late effort sealing a dramatic 2-1 victory at San Siro.

The Rossoneri subsequently ended a run of six straight defeats against the Nerazzurri stretching back to September 2022, while moving Fonseca's side level on eight points with their rivals.

Three points adrift of leaders Torino, Milan can move top of Serie A with victory over Lecce, who have won just one of their opening five matches this season.

And with his side riding the crest of a wave after beating the reigning Scudetto winners, Fonseca highlighted the importance of ensuring his side do not come crashing back down to earth.

"There are lots of motivations to win tomorrow," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference. 

"For me, it's a dangerous match after the derby. We have to be careful, we can't make any mistakes. We have to win.

"A win in the derby brings confidence, it brings a different atmosphere. But I always try to be balanced. One match can change everything, it helps the players' confidence, too. But it's just one match. If we don't win tomorrow, people will say we could be relegated. 

"For this reason, we have to forget about the derby, focusing on the next game, which is the most important. The atmosphere is positive, we are happy, but it's important to understand that the derby is over, it's irrelevant now.

"It's very, very important [we capitalise on our momentum]. We have to confirm that we are growing. The victory in the derby makes more sense if we also win against Lecce, because we need to start recovering some points."

Trent Alexander-Arnold insisted Liverpool are "back where we belong" as he revelled in the Reds' 3-1 victory over AC Milan on their return to the Champions League.

The six-time champions, who failed to qualify for last season's competition, fell behind after just three minutes at San Siro when Christian Pulisic rounded off a swift counter.

However, Liverpool responded with a pair of headers from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk turning the contest around, before Dominik Szoboszlai's second-half strike sealed the three points.

And Alexander-Arnold was thrilled to see the Reds hit the ground running in the revamped competition.

"I think this club belongs in the Champions League with the history that it's had and [it was] disappointing last year not being a part of it," he told CBS Sports.

"But we're back where we belong and [there is] no better way to get this campaign started than getting a win at the San Siro – a special venue, a special stadium and an unbelievable result."

Alexander-Arnold's assist for Konate's equaliser was his 80th for Liverpool, with Kevin De Bruyne (146) and team-mate Mohamed Salah (90) the only Premier League players to provide more since his debut in October 2016.

After helping England reach the Euro 2024 final in July, the full-back has started all five of the Reds' games this season under Arne Slot, while he also began both of the Three Lions' Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland and Finland earlier this month.

"I had a short time off in the summer where, after the Euros, there was a little bit of time for holidays and then back into it," he added.

"I think it was just an excitement to work under a new manager that I had never had before and, having spoken to the manager, I was excited for the plans and the way that he talked about it.

"So, to get back as soon as possible and to be as fit as possible for the opening game of the season was my aim, and to hit the ground running and be one of the best players in the league."

Paulo Fonseca cited a loss of "mental balance" that contributed to Milan starting their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday. 

Milan made a flying start when Christian Pulisic netted after two minutes and 47 seconds, the earliest the Serie A side had scored in the competition since Alexandre Pato's goal against Barcelona in 2011 (24 seconds). 

But two headers from Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, both from set-pieces, gave the visitors the lead before Dominik Szoboszlai sealed the victory after the break.

Liverpool dominated proceedings after their early setback, registering 23 shots on goal, 11 of which were on target compared to Milan's eight and two. 

Arne Slot's side ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 3.09, while Milan could only muster a tally of 0.61 from their attempts on goal. 

Ahead of kick-off, Fonseca expressed the importance of being defensively perfect against the Reds, but upon Espen Eskas' full-time whistle, the Milan head coach was left furious with his side's display. 

"We played against Liverpool, who are a huge team," Fonseca began.

"We started well, both attacking and defending, but then we conceded two goals from set plays that changed the game.

"We lost our mental balance because when the team lacks confidence, we develop problems and don’t do what we prepared in training.

"I told the players, you cannot make those mistakes in this kind of game.

"At the same time, I have to admit Liverpool are more of a team right now than we are, we need to keep working to have not 20 good minutes, but 70, 80, 90 minutes playing our football.

"After we conceded the second goal, the team stopped playing, and it became difficult after that.”

Milan's danger man Rafael Leao also endured a quiet evening, despite completing more dribbles (five) than anyone during the fixture. 

The Portugal international lost possession 15 times, the most in the Milan side, with Trent Alexander-Arnold coming out on top in their respective duels. 

Fonseca reiterated his game plan was for Leao to attack Alexander-Arnold but lamented the lack of service provided to the winger by his midfielders. 

“It was something we prepared in the little time that we had, try to put Leao against their right-back," he said.

"We did it once or twice in the match. What we prepared was to send Rafa one-on-one against him and we hardly did it.”

Four goals in the first 30 minutes helped Milan ease the pressure on Paulo Fonseca in a resounding 4-0 win over Venezia on Saturday.

Milan had a disappointing start to the Serie A season, with two draws and a loss, but they delivered an impressive performance to secure their first win of the campaign.

Theo Hernandez gave Milan the lead after just 88 seconds with a shot from a tight angle which deflected off Venezia keeper Jesse Joronen's legs and into the net.

The hosts doubled their lead 14 minutes later when a low corner found its way to Youssouf Fofana, who fired into the net.

Two quick penalties, first from Christian Pulisic in the 25th minute and then from Tammy Abraham four minutes later, put the match out of reach for the newly promoted visitors.

Venezia thought they got one back late in the game, but were denied by a VAR review after Hans Nicolussi Caviglia's reckless challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the build-up. 

Having been shown his first yellow card just five minutes earlier, the midfielder was then given his marching orders, rounding off a dismal day for the visitors.

Data Debrief: Quick off the mark

The Milan fans were not happy with Fonseca after a below-par start to life at Milan, but he will have quietened some of that criticism after an emphatic display at San Siro.

Milan scored four goals in the first 30 minutes of a Serie A game for the first time since October 1958 against Alessandria.

And Abraham looks to be settling into his new surroundings quickly - he has been involved in a goal in two consecutive Serie A appearances for the first time since January 2023 (three on that occasion for Roma).

Paulo Fonseca was left disappointed with Milan's lack of defensive responsibility in their shock 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Parma on Saturday. 

Milan were stunned inside 83 seconds when Dennis Man gave the hosts a shock lead, only for Christian Pulisic to restore parity just after the hour-mark. 

However, substitute Matteo Cancellieri struck in the closing exchanges to secure their first triumph over Milan in Serie A since 4-2 win back in March 2014. 

It marked an early bump in Fonseca's tenure with the Rossoneri, acknowledging that his side must improve at the back to succeed this season. 

"I'm disappointed. It's difficult to explain our defensive attitude. It's clear that we have a defensive problem," Fonseca told a press conference.

"For Parma it was too easy when they attacked. I'm not just talking to the defenders, I'm talking about the whole team, how they defend collectively and individually.

"I take responsibility for what the team does, but we have to recognise these defensive problems."

Milan created the better chances during the contest at Stadio Ennio Tardini, but only five of their 17 shots were on target, the same number as Parma managed from eight fewer attempts. 

The visitors also underperformed their expected goals (xG) by 1.01, missing three big chances while also striking the woodwork in the encounter. 

Of the 90 duels between the two sides, Parma had a success rate of 54.4% compared to Milan's 45.6%, with Fonseca left bemused by his sides underwhelming display.

"The team works well during the week, I think I see improvement in view of the match. Then today we arrive here and in the first situation we concede a goal," Fonseca added.

"We behaved badly defensively in all moments of the match. (There's) a problem to solve, of attitude. We need to work as a team.

"We lose the ball too easily. This allows a team that defends deep to create chances. We have made mistakes in preventive marking, defensive recoveries that we do not do together."

Promoted Parma pulled off a shock 2-1 home victory over AC Milan in Serie A on Saturday.

Defeat for Milan, their first against Parma in the top-flight since 2014, extended Paulo Fonseca's wait for his first win as coach of the Rossoneri.

Parma stunned Milan with an early opener through Dennis Man, who struck with his first touch after 84 seconds, having also netted on the opening weekend of the season.

Man is the first Parma player to score in the first two matchdays of a Serie A season since Alberto Paloschi in 2009-10.

Christian Pulisic equalised for Milan in the 66th minute after Rafael Leao fed a low pass into the path of the American winger, who finished from close range.

But, after being set up by fellow substitute Pontus Almqvist, it was Matteo Cancellieri who restored Parma's lead with 13 minutes left, and Parma held on to seal a famous victory.

Milan, who scored two last-gasp goals to secure a 2-2 draw in their season opener against Torino, remain on one point in the standings ahead of a key trip to play Lazio next week.

Data Debrief: Milan pay price for poor finishing

With Alvaro Morata out through injury, Milan lacked a cutting edge in this contest.

They managed 17 shots, but found the target with just five of them, scoring just once from an expected goals (xG) total of 2.01. Leao was among the main culprits, failing to trouble the goalkeeper from four attempts.

Parma managed the same amount of attempts on target as Milan (five) from just nine total shots, and Cancellieri has developed a reputation as a super sub.

Five of his six goals in Serie A have come as a substitute and four of those have come from the 70th minute of play onwards.