A.C. Milan vs Lumezzane Lineups
The first goal came from a great play by Pulisic in the third minute. He got free down the right and cut it back for Pobega to finish.
Both teams are participating in a pre-season friendly in Pasadena before their tour of the US. Madrid is looking to improve on a disappointing 2022/23 season, where they finished fourth and reached the Champions League semi-finals.
Team news
The friendly match between AC Milan and Lumezzane will occur at the Stadio Milanello in Milan on Thursday, 20 July. This will be the first friendly for Milan this summer and comes one day before the squad departs for the USA tour. It is also the first match for Carlo Ancelotti as manager of the Rossoneri.
Milan is on a solid run of form, having won Verona, Juventus, and Sampdoria, while Lumezzane lost to Sorrento in their last match in Serie D Play-Offs. However, even though Milan has been in fine form, they have yet to find consistency in their defense. They conceded four goals in their previous three home matches, which they need to improve on for the Lumezzane game.
Marco Sportiello will likely start in goal, while Calabria, Gabbia, and Tomori should make up the defense. Christian Pulisic will be among the new signings to play, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Lorenzo Colombo, and Luka Romero should feature in the midfield. Kevin Zeroli, Marko Lazetic, and Tijjani Reijnders will likely be on the bench.
Divock Origi and Ante Rebic will probably be left out of the starting lineup in the attack. They are not considered part of the club’s plans and may leave this summer. The Rossoneri are expected to move towards a more offensive style of football next season, which will not necessarily suit all players in their current squad.
Lumezzane’s team is mostly local players, and they are likely to play an expansive, fast-paced style of football. They have won two games out of their last three and should be able to compete against AC Milan if they play to their best ability. This match will be a good test for the newly promoted side, and they will want to prove that they can compete in the Lega Pro. They have a few young players that can help them to achieve this, and they should be able to score plenty of goals in this friendly.
Lineups
The first friendly game of the season took place between AC Milan and Serie C Lumezzane at the Milanello Stadium. The Rossoneri thrashed the visitors 7-0 in front of their home fans to kick off the pre-season in style. The game was the debut of several new signings for the club, including Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic, and Luka Romero. Milan coach Stefano Pioli opted for a 4-3-3 formation with the three attacking players at the front.
The home side started the game well and scored the opening goal in the 5th minute, with Tommaso Pobega scoring a tap-in. The Rossoneri continued to attack, and the ball was in the back of the net soon after as Pobega scored a second time with another simple finish. Junior Messias and Lorenzo Colombo also scored for the home side before the break. Romero replaced the injured Pulisic in the second half as the hosts dominated the game.
A few minutes after the restart, the Brazilian winger Rodrygo hit the post with his shot from outside the area. He was replaced with Vinicius Junior in the 60th minute. The young striker hopes to make an impact with the Rossoneri in their next fixture in the USA as he looks to add to his growing goalscoring tally.
Both sides aim to perform well this summer and reach the top of their respective leagues in 2023/24. Milan sits fourth in Serie A, while Real Madrid is third in La Liga. The Spanish giants are set to tour the United States and take on three other teams ahead of their return to action in August.
AC Milan has a good record against their opponents this season and has won all previous meetings between the two clubs. The last match between the two was in May and ended with a 2-0 victory for the home side. They want to extend this winning streak against their Serie C opponents. The visiting team is in a bit of a slump as they have lost their previous four matches, including their loss to Sorrento in Serie D Play-Offs on June 4. They will need to improve their defense to avoid further defeats.
Head-to-head record
The rivalry between AC Milan and Inter is among the most storied in football. The clubs share a century-old history and have won countless trophies, but each has its distinctive personality. Silvio Berlusconi’s 31-year tenure as president of AC Milan has given the club considerable cachet but also leaves many people with doubts about their integrity. On the other hand, Inter was founded in 1908 and has a clean reputation.
Both teams want to improve their previous performances in the Coppa Italia and Champions League qualifiers. The last time the two sides met in the latter competition, Milan won 1-0. The first half was a defensive affair, but the second half saw more goals as both sides attacked.
Despite the absence of several key players, both teams are expected to win their next matches. Nevertheless, the result of this match will be a close one. Hence, bettors should not be too confident about the outcome of this game. It is important to approach this prediction with caution, as it is impossible to predict the outcome of a football match based on mathematical models. Many factors can influence the final result, including tactical changes, player performance, and unforeseen events.
In the past, both teams have shared a favorable head-to-head record. Both have won eight of their past 20 matches against each other, and their last five encounters ended with both teams scoring. Moreover, the last four games between the two teams have seen the BTTS and Over 2.5 Goals markets land.
Milan has made several changes for this match and is likely to field a strong team. Nevertheless, they will miss a few important players, such as Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan, who are both away on international duty. Manager Stefano Pioli is expected to use this match to test his new signings.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has selected his best XI for this USA tour match against AC Milan. Summer signings Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Fran Garcia, and Rodrygo will all be included in the squad.
Predictions
As the new season begins, teams worldwide are taking to the pitch in pre-season friendlies. On Friday night, one of the first big games will feature Real Madrid and AC Milan in Pasadena, California. Both clubs hope to get off to a fast start this year, and their match will be an important test for both sides.
Real Madrid will look to bounce back from a poor 2022/23 campaign, while AC Milan hopes for better things this time. Both teams will also be looking to impress the fans in attendance. Stream all the action live on Paramount+, which you can try free for a week and get half-off an annual plan.
Milan have made some major changes to their squad this summer, and many of their new signings will be making their debuts against Lumezzane. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is expected to play a key role for the Rossoneri this season, and he will be joined by fellow new signings Rade Krunic and Tommaso Pobega in the midfield. Cristian Pulisic and Junior Messias will be deployed on the wings, while Jude Bellingham and Lorenzo Colombo are set to start up front.
Roma, meanwhile, are still without star striker Romelu Lukaku, who is expected to be out until at least the end of September. The potential starting XI for the Serie A side could see Andrea Belotti pair up with Stephan El Shaarawy, and they’ll be supported by midfielders Lorenzo Pellegrini and Houssem Aouar.
Both teams will likely score plenty of goals in this one, and we will take over 2.5 goals for this game. However, don’t be surprised if the two sides finally settle for a draw.
This will be the first match of the season for both teams, and they’ll want to make a good impression in front of their home fans. The Rossoneri aim for a top-four finish in Serie A this year, while the La Liga giants are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2022/23 campaign.
