AC Milan vs Novara

AC Milan and Novara will lock horns in a lopsided exhibition encounter at the Milanello Sports Center.

After an unexpected 1-0 loss to lower-league Trento, Milan returned to the winning path with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Tunisian outfit Etoile Sahel yesterday, only their third win in seven summer friendlies (L4). Stefano Pioli’s men have changed their skin this summer, bringing in as many as eight new players, which could explain the team’s mixed pre-season. Regardless of their topsy-turvy displays, ‘I Rossoneri’ should emerge victorious here after winning their last two summer friendlies against Novara via a two-goal margin each. Those triumphs took Milan’s winning H2H streak to four matches, all of which saw the seven-time European champions score at least twice. Considering they’ve netted 2+ goals in four of their seven off-season outings, the Milan fans could be in for another shooting gallery.

On the other hand, third-tier Novara won’t shy away from the task, inspired by an outstanding pre-season. Except for a 1-0 loss to last season’s Serie A relegation boys Sampdoria, they’ve won their four remaining friendlies this summer via an aggregate score of 13-3. But it’s worth noting all those wins came against sub-par opponents, none of which were near Milan’s quality. Nonetheless, a fast start will be of the essence, given that three of Novara’s five pre-season matches have seen the winner on the day keep a clean sheet. A shutout is seemingly off the table for ‘Gli Azzurri,’ as they’ve conceded multiple goals in five of their six meetings with Milan in the 21st century.