Milan get Goalcalo Ramos, but the result is the best news. They can dream, but must not fool themselves.

AC Milan won and moved to the top of the table. After just two matchdays, that does not mean everything, but it is not insignificant either. In the past, the situation has often been far worse. The result was the biggest positive from a match that was tense and full of debate, because before the goal Goncalo Ramos had missed virtually every chance that came his way. But that is football: when you least expect it, the twist arrives. Provided, of course, that an objectively hugely overpaid striker can still be considered a surprise when he scores...

Here are a few ratings-style thoughts and scattered observations on Milan, who ended the evening celebrating in front of the Rossoneri stand. Mike Maignan had to use his hands only once, and that was enough to keep out a first-half opportunity. Mario Gila was as alert as ever, tidying up a few slightly more adventurous moments. Koni De Winter also handled his task well, and that was no small matter given some dangerous balls played through. So it was Strahinja Pavlovic who carried the build-up from deep, only for goalkeeper Filip Stankovic to deny him from the clearest chance around the half-hour mark.

In midfield, Samuel Chukwueze appeared only in flashes, switched on now and then but absent for long stretches, even if one well-timed clearance during a clever Venezia move did not go unnoticed. The other "recovered" player from last year's group in exile, namely Yunus Musah, brought plenty of work rate and just as much inaccuracy, taking a step back after the far more encouraging signs he had shown last Sunday in Turin. It is true that early in the second half he struck the crossbar, but it was more a missed goal than an unfortunate effort. Luka Modric was fairly ordinary and rather subdued too, uncomfortable in the surges of a game that was frantic at times. On the left, Davide Bartesaghi offered little spark, a touch too textbook if truth be told, though he was at least decisive with one clearance at the far post with Maignan beaten, when the score was still 0-0.

Further forward, Ruben Loftus-Cheek had the double-barrelled surname but looked only half-complete. He has size, strength and running power. You can always sense those qualities, but you almost never truly see them in full. Cisse was better, though still as eager as he is unpolished. The youngster knows what he is doing in the present and will make it in the future: the difference in tense means you cannot demand the consistency of a veteran, at least not at a certain level. The level of expectation, on the other hand, is extremely high for Goncalo Ramos, not least because of the transfer fee of more than 70 million hanging over every ball he touched or merely grazed, with either head or foot. After leaving much to be desired, the Portuguese striker finally opened his account with the most delicate and most difficult chance of them all, the one needed to break the deadlock. From that moment, everyone forgot several clumsy errors from the first half. And so Goncalo simply became GOLcalo.

One thing is certain: Milan changed when Ruben Amorim turned to his bench. Just as in Turin, Adrien Rabiot changed the build-up and Alexis Saelemaekers changed the match. The Belgian picked out Ramos for the opener and then created the second for Ardon Jashari, who also made a strong impact after coming on. In the end, Milan left San Siro in a celebratory mood. Dreaming is permitted. Deluding yourself is not. But in a week's time there will already be a real test against Juventus. Then we will find out more.