Ruben Amorim's Home Debut as AC Milan Coach Against Venezia
Ruben Amorim walks into San Siro for the first time as AC Milan coach on Friday night, already juggling early-season momentum and late-window uncertainty.
He has a winning start behind him. He does not have Rafael Leao.
Amorim’s home bow, Leao’s shadow
Milan opened their Serie A campaign with a gritty 2-1 victory away to Torino, a result built on the fearlessness of teenager Alphadjo Cisse and the composure of Adrien Rabiot. It was exactly the kind of debut Amorim needed: organised, aggressive, and just chaotic enough in the final third to unsettle a difficult opponent.
Now comes the home unveiling at San Siro against newly-promoted Venezia, and the backdrop is very different. Leao, former Serie A MVP and long-time symbol of Milan’s attack, is unavailable and still at the centre of transfer talk, with Aston Villa and Galatasaray circling as the final days of the summer window tick away.
Amorim must prepare for Venezia while knowing one of his biggest stars might not be his for much longer.
Same XI, same message
The coach, though, is not in the mood for early tinkering.
Pre-match indications from Sky Sport Italia are clear: Milan are expected to stick with the same XI that won in Turin. That means Cisse, Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are again set to spearhead the attack in a 3-4-2-1, a bold show of trust in a front line that mixed youth, power and work rate to good effect last weekend.
Behind them, Mike Maignan keeps his place in goal, shielded by a back three of Koni De Winter, Mario Gila and Strahinja Pavlovic. On the flanks, Samuel Chukwueze and Pervis Estupinan are again tasked with stretching the pitch, with Ardon Jashari and Yunus Musah patrolling the centre.
Christian Pulisic is not expected to start but could finally see his first minutes of the season from the bench, a weapon Amorim hinted he is ready to deploy if the game demands a change of tempo or directness from the right.
There is no shortage of experience waiting in reserve either. Luka Modric, Rabiot and Alexis Saelemaekers are all expected to be in the matchday squad and pushing for starting roles, yet the message from Italy is consistent: Amorim does not want to disrupt a winning side after one game.
Venezia stick to their guns
Venezia arrive with less fanfare and a defeat to digest. Their 2-0 home loss to Lecce on the opening weekend was a reminder of how brutal the step up to Serie A can be.
Even so, the reports suggest they will also resist sweeping changes. Confidence in the core of the side remains, and coach and players will try to show that the lesson from week one has been learned without tearing up the plan.
They are expected to line up in a 3-5-2, with Filip Stankovic in goal – a familiar surname on Milanese turf. The son of former Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic now stands between the posts for Venezia and will walk out at San Siro with his own piece of family history on the line.
In front of him, a back three of Joel Schingtienne, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Bartol Franjic is set to hold firm, with a busy midfield five of Jordan Hainaut, Perez, Gianluca Busio, Basi and Correia trying to clog passing lanes and spring counters. Yeboah and Adams are due to lead the line, tasked with punishing any Milan complacency.
Probable line-ups
Milan (3-4-2-1): Maignan; De Winter, Gila, Pavlovic; Chukwueze, Jashari, Musah, Estupinan; Loftus-Cheek, Cisse; Ramos.
Venezia (3-5-2): Stankovic; Schingtienne, Bella-Kotchap, Franjic; Hainaut, Perez, Busio, Basi, Correia; Yeboah, Adams.
Kick-off at San Siro is scheduled for 19.45 BST.
Supporters in the UK can watch the game live on DAZN, while viewers in the USA can tune in via Paramount+. For Milan, it is not just about three points. It is about setting the tone at home under Amorim, with a giant question still hanging over Leao’s future and the season barely underway.
