Ruben Amorim's Home Debut as AC Milan Coach
Ruben Amorim walks into San Siro for the first time as AC Milan coach on Friday night, and he does it without the club’s most explosive forward.
Rafael Leao, still at the centre of late-window interest from Aston Villa and Galatasaray, will not be involved when Milan host newly-promoted Venezia in Serie A. The Portugal international’s future hangs over the week; Amorim’s job is to make sure it doesn’t hang over the performance.
Amorim’s Milan stick with a winning formula
The Portuguese coach could hardly have asked for a better start. A 2-1 victory away to Torino last weekend, built on the fearlessness of teenager Alphadjo Cisse and the authority of Adrien Rabiot, gave Milan immediate momentum under their new boss.
Cisse, who struck Milan’s second in Turin, is set to be rewarded. Sky Sport Italia report that Amorim will resist the temptation to tinker, keeping faith with the side that did the job on opening weekend. That means Cisse, Goncalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are again expected to spearhead the attack in a 3-4-2-1.
Behind them, Mike Maignan should continue in goal, protected by a back three of Koni De Winter, Mario Gila and Strahinja Pavlovic. Samuel Chukwueze and Piero Estupinan are likely to patrol the flanks, with Ardon Jashari and Yunus Musah in the engine room.
There is quality in reserve. Luka Modric, Rabiot and Alexis Saelemaekers are all pushing for starts, but the message around Milanello is clear: Amorim does not intend to disrupt a winning side unless he has to.
Leao out, Pulisic waiting
The major absence is Leao. The former Serie A MVP remains a headline name in the transfer market with only days left in the summer window, and Milan will again have to prove they can function – and win – without him.
Christian Pulisic is also expected to begin on the bench. The United States international has yet to play this season, but Amorim hinted in his pre-match press conference that the winger could finally see his first minutes of the campaign as a substitute.
If the game state allows, San Siro may get its first glimpse of Pulisic under Amorim under the floodlights.
Venezia arrive wounded but unchanged
Venezia come north on the back of a sobering introduction to the top flight. A 2-0 home defeat to Lecce exposed the gap they must bridge to survive at this level, yet early reports in Italy suggest they too will largely trust the XI that started last weekend.
Coach Paolo Vanoli will again lean on a 3-5-2 built around work rate and compactness. Filip Stankovic, son of former Inter midfielder Dejan Stankovic, is expected to start in goal, adding a familiar surname to the San Siro stage.
In front of him, Joel Schingtienne, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Hrvoje Franjic should form the back three. The wing-backs are set to be Daouda Hainaut and a returning wide option on the opposite side, with Gianluca Busio anchoring midfield alongside teammates Tanner Tessmann, Perez and Basi in the central roles and Correia offering width and support to the front two.
Up front, Emmanuel Yeboah and Adams are expected to continue as the strike partnership, tasked with unsettling Milan’s back line on the break.
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.
Under the lights, with eyes on the future
Kick-off is scheduled for 19.45 BST, with UK viewers able to watch exclusively on DAZN and fans in the USA tuning in via Paramount+.
For Amorim, this is more than a routine home debut. It is a chance to show that Milan can be ruthless amid the noise of the transfer market, that a new core – Cisse, Ramos, Loftus-Cheek, Musah – can carry the weight of a San Siro evening while the club’s biggest star watches his future unfold.
