AC Milan face a particularly tricky task on Sunday evening against a team that they are yet to beat in Italy’s top flight.
Milan head to Benevento knowing that a win will see them keep top spot in the Serie A table, but with Inter playing Crotone it will likely have to be three points or they will lose it.
It will be an anything but comfortable game against a side managed by club legend Pippo Inzaghi and one who have recovered from an early season slump.
Below are the best pre-match stats, courtesy of Opta…
➤ Benevento won their very first Serie A point against AC Milan in December 2017, thanks to a 2-2 draw (after 14 successive defeats).
➤ Benevento won their last Serie A home game against Genoa and could win two in a row for only the second time in their top flight history (after January 2018, against Chievo and Sampdoria).
➤ Milan are unbeaten in their last 14 Serie A away matches (W10 D4), their longest run since April 2004. In 2020, AC Milan have only lost one league match on the road. Only in 1992 and 1964 have they done better.
➤Milan are unbeaten in nine games when playing their first calendar year Serie A match away from home (W8 D1); their last such defeat was back in 1997 (3-0 v Lazio).
➤ Milan and Benevento are the two sides with the best points increment between two successive Serie A appearances after 14 games (Benevento +18 than 2017-18 and AC Milan +17 than 2019-20 – three points/win era).
➤ No promoted team with at least 18 points from their first 14 Serie A games have been relegated at the end of the season during the three points for a win era.
➤ Milan have scored the most headed goals (seven) in Serie A this season, whilst only Crotone (zero) have scored fewer than Benevento (one).
➤ Benevento boss Filippo Inzaghi, who played more Serie A games for AC Milan (202) than any other side, drew 0-0 in his only previous meeting against the Rossoneri as a coach – in December 2018 with Bologna.
➤ Benevento’s striker Gianluca Lapadula made his Serie A debut with AC Milan, scoring eight goals in 27 matches in 2016/17; he is goalless in his last eight league appearances after having scored in five of the previous eight.
➤ Milan’s striker Ante Rebic has scored three Serie A goals against promoted teams, the last against Lecce in June 2020: after his goal against Lazio last time out, he could find the net in two league games in a row for the first time since July (v Lazio and Juventus).
