Attacking struggles and a nemesis: All the key stats ahead of Sassuolo vs. Milan

AC Milan are heading into today’s clash against Sassuolo with the aim of finding the back of the net, having struggled massively in the final third lately. 

With just four games left of the season, Milan are in a good position to secure Champions League qualification. They would increase the gap down to fifth place to eight points with a win tonight, which would get them very close to their goals.

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However, in order to do so, they definitely need to sort out their attack as the stats are nothing short of dire. Our preview has taken a closer look at the match, while you can also find insight into the opponents. Below, you can find the key stats.

Milan vs. Juventus: Key facts and stats

➤ US Sassuolo Calcio have remained unbeaten in six of their last eight Serie A matches against AC Milan (W3 D3 L2), after suffering seven defeats in the previous nine (D2); in detail, the two teams have drawn their two most recent encounters, scoring 10 goals in total, an average of five per match.

➤ Milan are unbeaten in their last eight Serie A away games against Sassuolo (W6 D2); their last defeat at the MAPEl Stadium in the top-flight was on 6 March 2016, a 2-0 loss with goals from Alfred Duncan and Nicola Sansone.

➤ Sassuolo have collected 23 points in their last 13 Serie A matches (W7 D2 L4); since MD22, only four teams have earned more points in the competition: Como (24), Juventus (25), Napoli (26) and Inter (30).

➤ Sassuolo have won five of their last seven Serie A home matches (L2), as many as they had in their previous 19 (D5 L9) under four different managers.

➤ After 2-1 home wins against both Cagliari and Como, they could record three consecutive victories at the MAPEl Stadium for the first time in the competition since February-April 2022, under Alessio Dionisi.

➤ Milan have failed to score in five of their last nine Serie A matches – including their last game
against Juventus – averaging 0.78 goals per game in this period. This is exactly half the average goals per game they registered in their previous 25 Serie A matches this season (1.64, and only one game without scoring in that run).

➤ Milan have kept a clean sheet in each of their last two Serie A matches (against Hellas Verona and Juventus) and could record three consecutive clean sheets for the second time this season, after last September. Overall, the last time the Rossoneri had more than 15 clean sheets at this stage of a Serie A season was in 2011/12 (17 and a second-place finish).

➤ Milan have made the fewest substitutions on average in Serie A this season (4.1 per match, 139
in total), at least 10 fewer than any other side in the competition (Parma are next with 149).

➤ Milan are averaging 13.3 shots per game in Serie A this season, their second-lowest average in a single top-flight campaign across the last 20 seasons (only 2014/15 was lower, 11.8 shots per match, when they finished 10th).

➤ Milan are the side against whom Domenico Berardi has scored the most goals in Serie A: 11 in 19 meetings, including the one in which he set his personal record for goals in a single top-flight match (four, in January 2014). Only five players have scored more goals against the Rossoneri in the competition than the Sassuolo forward: Stefano Nyers, Carlo Reguzzoni, Antonio Di Natale (all on 12), Enrico Chiesa (14) and Silvio Piola (22).

➤ Matteo Gabbia has been available for AC Milan in their last two Serie A matches (1-0 against Verona
and 0-0 against Juventus); with the defender on the pitch, the Rossoneri have lost just 4% of their Serie A games this season (one of 26 total – W15 D10), averaging 2.1 points per match, while without him, their loss percentage rises to 50% (four of eight, W4) and their points per game average drops to 1.5.