San Siro Ratings: Saelemaekers Transforms Milan's Win Over Venezia
AC Milan‘s opening home fixture of the Serie A campaign at San Siro yielded a controlled 2-0 victory over Venezia on August 28, 2026. Major Italian sports newspapers evaluated the performance through contrasting lenses, highlighting a disjointed first-half attacking display before a decisive tactical shift after the interval secured the three points.
Gonçalo Ramos secured a consensus 7/10 rating across La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tuttosport after breaking the deadlock in the second half. Despite squandering multiple opportunities prior to the interval, the Portuguese striker’s persistence anchored the home side’s central attacking output.
AC Milan
clubEvaluating the Rossoneri Squad Across Italian Media Outlets
The following ratings reflect the evaluations published by La Gazzetta dello Sport (Gazzetta), Corriere dello Sport (CdS), and Tuttosport (Tuttosport) following the Round 2 fixture.
| Player Name | Position | Gazzetta | CdS | Tuttosport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Maignan | Goalkeeper | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Mario Gila | Defender | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7 |
| Koni De Winter | Defender | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| Strahinja Pavlović | Defender | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Samuel Chukwueze | Winger | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Luka Modrić | Midfielder | 6 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Yunus Musah | Midfielder | 6.5 | 6 | 6 |
| Davide Bartesaghi | Defender | 5.5 | 6 | 6 |
| Ruben Loftus-Cheek | Midfielder | 5 | 5 | 5.5 |
| Alphadjo Cissé | Attacker | 6 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Alexis Saelemaekers | Winger | 7 | 6.5 | 7.5 |
| Gonçalo Ramos | Attacker | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Defensive Stability and Midfield Control Under Scrutiny
Strahinja Pavlović emerged as a standout figure at the back, earning scores of 7 from two major outlets for his decisive aerial interventions and progressive ball-carrying. Alongside him, Mario Gila maintained defensive composure, culminating in a peak 7/10 mark from Tuttosport before being substituted late for Matteo Gabbia.
Alexis Saelemaekers
playerIn the middle of the pitch, Luka Modrić and Yunus Musah managed the tempo against a compact low-block, though the veteran Croatian midfielder received a slightly reduced 5.5 from Tuttosport as the hosts struggled to unlock the visiting defense in the opening period.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek recorded the lowest grades on the pitch, earning 5/10 from La Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport, alongside a 5.5 from Tuttosport. Deployed as a right attacking midfielder, the English international failed to assert his physical profile, prompting Gazzetta to note that he was unable to impose himself before being withdrawn just before the hour mark.
Alexis Saelemaekers entirely altered the tactical dynamic after replacing Alphadjo Cissé in the 59th minute, collecting up to a 7.5/10 from Tuttosport. The Belgian winger provided the decisive assist for Ramos’s opener before forcing Redouane Halhal into an own goal via a rebound following Ardon Jashari’s effort. Adrien Rabiot also entered at the hour mark alongside Saelemaekers, stabilizing the central channels with a steady 6 to 6.5 rating across the publications.
Head coach Rúben Amorim collected ratings between 6.5 and 7 for orchestrating the decisive structural shifts that unlocked Venezia’s defense. The immediate dividends paid by the second-half substitutions validate the technical staff’s depth options as the squad navigates the early-season schedule.