Serie A
AC Milan edge Venezia in San Siro thriller as late own goal seals victory
Gustavo Ramos opened the scoring for Milan before Romain Halhal's late own goal condemned Venezia to a second defeat in as many matches.
AC Milan secured a narrow 2-0 victory over Venezia at San Siro/Giuseppe Meazza in front of a packed Milanese crowd, with goals in the final half-hour deciding the contest. The hosts, playing under Ruben Amorim in a 3-4-2-1 formation, broke the deadlock through Gustavo Ramos in the 69th minute, with Alexis Saelemaekers providing the assist.
The first half was largely uneventful, with both sides struggling to find rhythm. Venezia, deployed in a 3-5-2 system by coach Giovanni Stroppa, showed flashes of promise but failed to trouble the Milan goal meaningfully before the break.
Milan emerged with more urgency after the interval, and their patience paid off when Ramos slotted home in the 69th minute. The goal lifted the home crowd and added pressure on Venezia, who had already seen Jean-Clair Schingtienne receive a yellow card in the 27th minute.
Venezia responded with renewed determination, but their efforts were hampered when K. Perez picked up a booking in the 48th minute, followed shortly by Riccardo Haps in the 54th.
As the clock ticked into stoppage time, Milan thought they had sealed the win with a second goal, only for it to be ruled out for offside. But in the 89th minute, Venezia’s Romain Halhal inadvertently extended Milan’s lead with an own goal that left his teammates shell-shocked.
Milan’s defense held firm in the dying moments, with Srdjan Pavlovic earning a late yellow card for a challenge that halted a promising counter-attack.
The result leaves AC Milan in fifth place in the Serie A table with three points from their opening fixture, while Venezia remain rooted to the bottom, still searching for their first point of the campaign.
Referee Gianluca Manganiello managed the contest efficiently, allowing play to flow despite several contentious moments in midfield.
For Milan, the win provides momentum heading into their next fixture, though questions will remain over their ability to dominate possession against organized opposition.
Venezia, meanwhile, must regroup quickly if they hope to climb away from the foot of the table, with defensive lapses proving costly in this defeat.
Both managers will reflect on lessons learned, with Amorim likely pleased by his side’s resilience and Stroppa left to address the vulnerabilities exposed at the back.
The atmosphere at San Siro remained intense throughout, with home fans celebrating long after the final whistle confirmed a hard-fought three points for the Rossoneri.