AC MILAN v VENEZIA: MATCH PREVIEW

The week of big matches is now behind and we're onto the first midweek matchday orf the 2021/22 Serie A season. AC Milan take on newly-promoted Venezia, who are back in the top flight for the first time in 20 years. The Arancioneroverdi are not to be underestimated, however, they will surely be looking to make up for a defeat last time out to Spezia. It's a trick clash for AC Milan, and a must-win should they hope to keep pace at the top of the table. Let's take a closer look with our Preview.

LATEST FROM MILANELLO
In spite of a strong start and being joint-second alongside Inter, AC Milan go into this one with a few injury problems. Simon Kjær was added to the injury list following a knock he sustained against Juventus on Sunday. Pierre Kalulu, after his stellar display off the bench at the Allianz Stadium, could start, with Gabbia and Romagnoli in the centre of defence.

The Rossoneri have absentees all over the pitch: Calabria in defence, Krunić and Messias in midfield, Ibrahimović and Giroud in attack, and Plizzari. Ante Rebić will start again as the lone centre-forward. They may also be considerable rotation for this fixture due to the sheer amount of matches that the Rossoneri will play over the coming weeks. The names being touted are Ballo-Touré, Bennacer and Florenzi with a possible debut - even if off the bench - for Pietro Pellegri.

After the game in Turin, Head Coach Stefano Pioli had this to say on the next two league matches: "Now we have some tricky ties. After a week playing against some really big teams, we have two very tough games, in which we need to show that we've become a really strong team."

LATEST FROM VENEZIA
The trip to San Siro is the Lagunari's fourth away fixture from five games. The schedule was put in place for Venezia while the Stadio Penzo was undergoing a modernisation process. The Arancioneroverdi have had a tough start to the season; Paolo Zanetti's side - apart from the big win away at Empoli - have suffered a string of defeats to Napoli, Udinese and Spezia.

Venezia have no players suspended but the Belgian Heymans will receive a one-match ban should he pick up a booking. The squad has been overhauled since promotion to Serie A; in the first few matchdays, the regulars have been Ceccaroni and Caldara in the centre of defence, the Italian-American Busio in midfield and Johnsen and Okereke up top in support of the centre-forward, the Frenchman Henry. Aramu has been a key contributor too; the player starred in Serie B last season with ten goals and six assists.  

In spite of the difficult start, the Lagunari are ready to do battle at San Siro: "We're now going to Milan and we need to get points," said Pietro Ceccaroni, who scored on Sunday against Spezia. "The level is higher and we need to get used to it, but we'll prepare." Head Coach Paolo Zanetti was of the same mindset: "It'll be really tough but every game in this league is hard. The only thing that counts is what we do on the pitch."   

PRE-MATCH
This is the first time these two have played against each other in almost 20 years. the last time AC Milan played Venezia was 7,150 days ago when the Rossoneri won 4-1 away from home in February 2002. While the last time the two sides met at San Siro was in October 2001: a 1-1 draw with goals from Shevchenko and Maniero. AC Milan have played Venezia 24 times in Serie A (W14, D6, L4).

Two former Rossoneri are in the current Venezia squad: Mattia Caldara, who is on loan from AC Milan, and Gianmarco Zigoni, who is a product of the Rossoneri's youth system and made his Serie A debut for the Club against Lazio in March 2010. Venezia are an entirely new prospect for the majority of the AC Milan squad, given that only five current players have ever faced the Lagunari: Bennacer, Tonali and the unavailable Krunić, Messias and Plizzari.

We recently took a look back at a previous meeting between the two. In November 1999, Zaccheroni's AC Milan ran out 3-0 winners and got themselves through a difficult time, especially in the wake of the Champions League elimination to Galatasaray. 

LATEST FROM SERIE A
Ivano Pezzuto will referee AC Milan v Venezia: he has taken charge of ten matches in Serie A but this will be hist first involving both the Rossoneri and the Leoni Alati. Assisting him will be linesmen Longo and Bercigli and fourth official Gariglio. Banti - assisted by Alassio - is on VAR duty. 

The match between the Rossoneri and Lagunari falls in the middle of Serie A matchday 5 - the first midweek matchday of the season. Three games were played yesterday: Bologna 2-2 Genoa, Fiorentina X-X Inter and Atalanta X-X Sassuolo. This evening will open with Spezia v Juventus and Salernitana v Verona at 18:30 CEST. Cagliari host Empoli at the same time as our match. There are three games tomorrow: Sampdoria v Napoli and Torino v Lazio at 18:30 CEST and Roma v Udinese at 20:45 CEST.

Here are the current Serie A standings: Inter* 13, Napoli 12; Milan, Atalanta* 10; Roma, Fiorentina* 9; Bologna* 8, Lazio, Udinese 7; Torino 6; Sampdoria 5; Sassuolo*, Spezia, Genoa* 4; Verona, Empoli, Venezia 3; Juventus, Cagliari 2; Salernitana 0. (* played one game more)

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