AC Milan vs Lumezzane

A new-look AC Milan side embarks on a pre-season tour against lower-league Italian outfit Lumezzane at the Centro Sportivo Milanello.

Following a dreadful defending Serie A campaign, where they barely secured Champions League football, Milan have undergone a comprehensive summer overhaul. Brahim Diaz, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Sandro Tonali are no longer parts of Stefano Pioli’s squad, and it’s up to Tijjani Reijnders, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Christian Pulisic to fill the void. Despite a troubling 2022/23 Serie A season, Milan signed off in style, racking up a three-game winning league streak, during which they scored nine goals and conceded just two in return. However, if ‘I Rossoneri’ need a reminder not to take anything for granted, an underwhelming three-game losing run preceding their recent resurgence might do the trick. With none of Milan’s last seven games ending level (W4, L3) and five seeing the winner on the day keep a clean sheet, scoring an opener could be critical.

On the other hand, Lumezzane may need some time to recover from a heartbreaking 3-2 aggregate defeat to Sorrento in the playoff semifinals, which cost them promotion to Serie C. Interestingly, Lumezzane’s ‘make or break’ approach has seen them go without a draw since late January, with their win percentage doubling their loss count (W12, L6). On top of that, they’ve been a pleasure to watch, as three of their last four outings have featured over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet, underscoring the potential for a high-scoring event. But Andrea Caracciolo’s men must cope with a substantial gulf in class to avoid defeat in this fixture, something they may well do after winning six of their last eight matches away from home (L2).