Milan defeats Venezia 2-0 with Ramos goal and Halhal own goal to lead Serie A
Goncalo Ramos scored his first goal for AC Milan and Redouane Halhal conceded a late own goal at San Siro, earning Ruben Amorim a second consecutive league victory.
Pre-match tribute and first-half chances
San Siro commemorated former captain Franco Baresi prior to kickoff with a large display of his number 6 shirt in the centre circle, accompanied by chants and banners across the stadium. Once play began, Ruben Amorim's team pushed forward in search of an early opener in their first home fixture of the season. Goncalo Ramos received a through ball from Samuel Chukwueze in the 12th minute, but Venezia goalkeeper Filip Stankovic blocked the low strike. Venezia created an opening in the 24th minute when Ridgeciano Haps delivered a cross into the penalty area; Akor Adams missed the ball, but a deflection off Davide Bartesaghi fell to John Yeboah, whose shot was cleared off the line by Strahinja Pavlovic. Ramos had two further chances before halftime, firing weakly at Stankovic in the 33rd minute after a pass from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and misjudging another Chukwueze cross in the 36th minute. Chukwueze tested Stankovic from distance on a counterattack right before the interval, sending the teams into halftime at 0-0.
Breaking the deadlock in the second half
Venezia produced the first chance of the second half when Antoine Hainaut sent an outside-of-the-boot shot narrowly wide of Mike Maignan's right post. Milan responded in the 55th minute when Yunus Musah struck the crossbar from five metres out following a scramble triggered by a Luka Modric free kick. Amorim altered his tactical setup by introducing Alexis Saelemaekers and Adrien Rabiot in place of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Alpha Cisse. Five minutes after entering the pitch, Saelemaekers curled a cross from the left wing that Ramos headed over the crossbar. The breakthrough came in the 69th minute after Venezia defender Armel Bella-Kotchap mishit a clearance. Saelemaekers collected the ball on the left, cut inside, and threaded a pass to Ramos, who struck a diagonal left-footed finish past Stankovic inside the far post.
- Goncalo Ramos misses a one-on-one chance against Filip Stankovic.
- Strahinja Pavlovic blocks John Yeboah's goal-bound shot on the line.
- Yunus Musah hits the crossbar from close range following a Luka Modric set piece.
- Goncalo Ramos opens the scoring with a left-footed diagonal shot.
- Redouane Halhal turns the ball into his own net following Ardon Jashari's saved shot.
Late own goal seals points at San Siro
The goal was Ramos's first in Serie A and his first competitive goal for Milan since joining the club. Venezia manager Giovanni Stroppa committed players forward in pursuit of an equaliser, which left open spaces in transition. Amorim made further changes in the closing stages, bringing on Ardon Jashari for Modric in the 74th minute, followed by Matteo Gabbia and Pervis Estupinan in the 87th minute for Mario Gila and Bartesaghi. In the 89th minute, Saelemaekers initiated another counterattack by sending Jashari through on goal with a pass down the middle. Stankovic parried Jashari's initial attempt, but the ball ricocheted off defender Redouane Halhal and rolled into the Venezia net to establish a two-goal lead.
Early standings and upcoming fixtures
The 2-0 result gives Milan six points from their opening two Serie A fixtures, following an away win over Torino in round one. The win places Amorim's side at the top of the Serie A standings at the start of matchday 2. Venezia remains without a point after two rounds, having previously lost to Eusebio Di Francesco's Lecce on the opening weekend. Stroppa's squad created multiple scoring opportunities across both matches but failed to convert, leaving them near the bottom of the table. Milan turns its attention to an upcoming fixture against Juventus, maintaining a perfect record through the opening weeks of the domestic season.
