Fate has a way of scripting the drama in Italian football, and this Sunday night at the iconic Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, destiny will demand answers from two clubs at opposite ends of the Serie A spectrum. AC Milan, striding confidently towards a title challenge, will lock horns with a Fiorentina side already peering nervously at the relegation trapdoor. There’s no time for mercy, no margin for error. This is not a match—it’s a collision of ambition and desperation, and only one side leaves with their narrative intact.

Let’s not pretend both teams enter this showdown on equal footing. Milan are a machine right now: unbeaten in five, four straight wins before a disciplined defensive clinic in Turin. Massimiliano Allegri’s return has been the adrenaline shot this club craved. The Rossoneri have been ruthless, dispatching Napoli and Udinese, even flexing their muscles in the Coppa Italia with a 3-0 dismantling of Lecce. A team averaging two goals per game at home, boasting a 100% home win record, and conceding barely a whiff of danger. This is a team that doesn’t just beat opponents—they suffocate them, force them to accept the inevitable.

But don’t get it twisted: adversity is lurking. The talismanic Christian Pulišić, Serie A’s most electric attacker so far, will almost certainly miss this clash after hobbling off with a hamstring injury for the USMNT midweek. Pulišić has been devastating, with six goals and two assists in all competitions. His absence is seismic, not just for his knack for unlocking resistant defenses, but for the confidence he radiates in crucial moments. Someone has to grasp the torch now—and if I’m picking anyone, it’s Christopher Nkunku, fresh off international heroics for France, or Rafael Leão, returning hungry and rested after a disrupted start to his season. Modrić, the evergreen orchestrator, has shifted his focus entirely to guiding Milan through this thorny challenge.

Fiorentina arrive in Milan battered by results and battered by reality. Three points from six games. No wins in Serie A, and a pattern of soft defending and meager attacking returns. Moise Kean’s early strike against Roma was a flicker of what this side could be—only for the backline, again, to crumble under pressure. The Viola faithful will cling to the hope offered by their European exploits, a 2-0 Conference League win that, if nothing else, proves there’s fight left in this squad. But let’s be honest: traveling to the San Siro, where Milan have won four of the last five meetings between these two, is a different beast.

Key men, as always, will define the narrative. For Milan, the spotlight burns on Santiago Giménez, Allegri’s hammer up front: physical, tireless, lethal in the box. If Leão or Nkunku are handed Pulišić’s role, their interplay could rip open a defense that has already conceded nearly 1.5 goals per game. Modrić’s ability to control the tempo and find runners in behind will likely pin Fiorentina deep, forcing them to absorb wave after wave. It’s a recipe for disaster unless Fiorentina’s midfield—led by the embattled Rolando Mandragora—can disrupt and counter with venom.

For Fiorentina, it’s now or never for Kean and Roberto Piccoli to make their mark. Both showed flashes of brilliance recently, but flashes won’t cut it against a Milan backline conceding only 0.33 goals per game at home. Can Fiorentina even make this a contest tactically? Their best hope is to pack the midfield, frustrate Milan with numbers, and nick something on the break. If they open up, they’ll be run over. If they go toe-to-toe, they might be humiliated. But if they get mean, ugly, and opportunistic, maybe—just maybe—they can force Milan to sweat.

Let’s not sugarcoat what’s at stake. For Milan, this is a launchpad—a win keeps the pressure on at the summit and asserts them as the hunters in this title race. For Fiorentina, this is about pride, survival, and sending a message to their doubters: we will not lay down, not even against the giants. The psychological scars of defeat here could spiral; conversely, a brave draw or snatched win could reset an entire season.

I’m calling it now: Milan’s iron grip at home holds firm, but it won’t be a cruise. Without Pulišić, expect a more tense, tactical battle—Leão and Nkunku will make the difference, and Giménez will bully his way onto the score sheet. Fiorentina will land a punch, but they don’t have the firepower or discipline to stand twelve rounds with this Milan. Final verdict: Milan 2-1, and the Rossoneri march on with a champion’s swagger, leaving Fiorentina in a scramble for answers and, perhaps, for their Serie A survival itself.

There are moments in a season when dreams are made or broken. This is one. Buckle up.