Ramos writes the beginning: Milan overcome Venezia with a brace on a San Siro night
AC Milan claimed a deserved 2-0 win over Venezia at the San Siro. Gonçalo Ramos scored his first goal in the Rossoneri shirt, and an own goal sealed three points that the hosts had threatened to squander after passing up a string of clear chances.
Their first home match of the season opened with a special tribute to club legend and historic captain Franco Baresi, who passed away on 31 July at the age of 66.
Two changes came into the side that had beaten Torino 2-1 on the opening weekend. Luka Modrić and Davide Bartesaghi replaced Ardon Jashari and Pervis Estupiñán, with Adrien Rabiot and Christian Pulišić both absent, short of full physical readiness after their involvement at the World Cup.
Rafael Leão, Samuele Ricci, Fikayo Tomori, Yusuf Fofana and Santiago Giménez all missed out amid ongoing talks over their futures. Venezia, meanwhile, arrived on the back of a 2-0 loss to Lecce, still without Andrea Adorante, Matías Moreno and Marin Sverko, while the coach preferred Ridgeciano Haps to Thierry Correia.
Milan pressed forward from the off. Ramos wasted an early chance with a poor finish after a Ruben Loftus-Cheek cross, then broke the offside trap in another attempt that forced a fine save from goalkeeper Filip Stanković.
Venezia hit back through Ekong Adams, whose powerful strike Mike Maignan parried away. Milan responded with a chance for defender Strahinja Pavlović, who burst into the area onto a Bartesaghi pass, only for Stanković to race off his line and clear.
Pavlović then turned decisive at the other end, cutting out a dangerous effort from John Yeboah after a cross from Adams. Stanković kept up his fine form by saving a low strike from Ramos inside the box. Samuel Chukwueze and Ramos kept the Rossoneri probing, the latter firing over the bar, before a shoulder injury to Bartol Franjić forced Venezia into an emergency change in first-half stoppage time.
The second half opened with Antoine Hénoud squandering a chance for the visitors, his shot skidding across goal after a Haps cross. Milan hit back with a clear opening as Yunus Musah rose for a header inside the six-yard box and powered it against the crossbar.
Substitute Alexis Saelemaekers turned saviour the moment he arrived. His cross found Ramos, whose header flashed past the post. The pair combined again to break the deadlock. Saelemaekers led a counter and threaded a clever pass through the defence to Ramos, and the Portuguese striker drilled a left-footed shot through the legs of Gianluca Busio and into the net from close range for his first Milan goal.
Venezia went in search of a reply through a Yeboah shot that Maignan saved, the goalkeeper then dashing to the middle of the pitch to snuff out a break ahead of Leon Lauerbach. Milan sealed it late. Saelemaekers slipped a magical pass to send Ardon Jashari clear, and his dropping shot was saved by Stanković, only to strike defender Ridwan Halhal and rebound into the empty net to confirm the Lombard win.
