AC Milan will hope to continue their form ahead of their home clash with newly promoted Venezia at San Siro.
AC Milan’s new era began with an away win last week, and they will aim to build more momentum on Friday evening when Venezia pay a visit to San Siro. With this game, the Rossoneri kick-start their campaign on home soil and will hope to replicate the performances from matchday one.
Following a costly late implosion last season, Milan are looking to rebuild under the management of Amorim, as the Portuguese tactician began the Serie A campaign with a win away at Torino. The Rossoneri have made some squad changes but will hope for some continuity following their opening-day win.
Against Torino, they did take some time to get going, but debutant Alphadjo Cisse and midfielder Adrien Rabiot both struck after the break, and they went on to win 2-1. It was the first time Milan have won a season opener since 2023, while Amorim became their first coach to win on his Serie A debut for a decade.
Now, the Rossoneri return to San Siro, where they often failed to match expectations last term. Most notably, a defeat to Cagliari on the final matchday cost them Champions League qualification. In the 2025/26 campaign, Milan won less than half of their games at San Siro, finishing with just the seventh-best home record in Serie A, so they will be keen to make a positive start there this season.
Meanwhile, after gaining promotion from Italy’s second tier last term, Venezia started their top-flight comeback against potential relegation rivals, so the stakes were already high on Sunday. Returning to Serie A for the third time in six years, the Lagunari had set new club records for points, goals and wins in a single Serie B season; however, that could not help as they were beaten by Lecce at home.
While the hosts had two goals chalked off, their visitors struck twice at Stadio Penzo, leaving head coach Giovanni Stroppa to bemoan his side’s luck. Immediately demoted after their last two promotions, Venezia intend to avoid the same fate, as the club will work towards fighting for their survival chances ahead of the new campaign.
Team News and Tactics
AC Milan
AC Milan lined up in Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation against Torino, with club-record buy Goncalo Ramos leading the line, and that should not change on Friday. Only rising star Francesco Camarda is available to challenge Ramos, as Santiago Gimenez and Rafael Leao are both set to leave, while Christopher Nkunku has rejoined RB Leipzig.
Luka Modric was rested in Turin but could now return. After Adrien Rabiot excelled off the bench in a more attacking role, recording a goal and an assist, he could displace Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the cetral areas.
Meanwhile, Milan have few fitness issues ahead of the match, but those are related to players linked with a move away, such as Leao and Gimenez. In Leao’s absence, Alphadjo Cisse should line up alongside Goncalo Ramos in the final third again, while Samuel Chukwueze and Pervis Estupinan will be the two wing-backs.
Possible lineup (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Gila, De Winter, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Modric, Musah, Estupinan; Rabiot, Cisse; Ramos
Venezia
Club-record signing and Nigerian striker Akor Adams recently marked his debut with a brace against Modena in the Coppa Italia, setting up next week’s second-round clash with Udinese, and he will be a big part of their attacking setup.
Venezia are still missing Marin Sverko and Andrea Adorante, the latter of whom scored 17 league goals last term. Due to a muscular problem, summer signing Matias Moreno is also a doubt, so Giovanni Stroppa may stick with the same back three that faced Lecce.
John Yeboah notched 19 goal involvements in last season’s sprint to the Serie B title and is set to join Adams up front. Meanwhile, Kike Perez, Gianluca Busio, and Tomas Basic will form the engine room for the away side, hoping to keep things tight in the middle of the park.
Possible lineup (3-5-2): Stankovic; Schingtienne, Bella-Kotchap, Franjic; Correia, Perez, Busio, Basic, Hainaut; Yeboah, Adams.
Key Stats
- AC Milan won their season opener for the first time since 2023, with Ruben Amorim becoming their first coach to win on his Serie A debut for a decade.
- In the 2025/26 campaign, Milan won less than half of their home games, finishing with just the seventh-best record in Serie A.
- Venezia have lost all four league games against AC Milan over the past decade, by an aggregate 11-0 scoreline.
- Venezia set new club records for points, goals and wins in a single Serie B season last term before being beaten at home by Lecce on their Serie A return.
Player to Watch
Goncalo Ramos
The Portuguese striker could not find the back of the net in AC Milan’s opener against Torino, but overall, he put in a good enough display for the Rossoneri. However, with the first home game on the horizon, the record signing has a chance to make a mark.
Ramos will be the main man in Milan’s attacking setup, as well as the player the Venezia defence will be wary of. The 25-year-old must put in a clinical performance to get his first official Serie A goal for Milan and gather momentum for the season ahead, as this clash against Venezia could be a great opportunity for the former PSG star.
Prediction
AC Milan 3-1 Venezia
Venezia will want to put in a solid performance against AC Milan and banish the disappointment of their opening game against Lecce. However, they are faced with a new-look Rossoneri side under Ruben Amorim, who look hungry and ready to attack the league.
Venezia’s recent record against Milan is also a big factor to consider, and going by the prediction, that could continue into the next game. Amorim’s charges are the overwhelming favourites to get three points, although they are yet to show absolute resilience in keeping clean sheets, which could see them concede an odd goal in this game.