AC Milan will be looking to put their bad recent run against Atalanta behind them and secure another big three points.
The Rossoneri currently sit three points clear atop the Serie A table and with Inter visiting Udinese at the same time as Saturday’s game, they know a point will keep them above their city rivals to earn the ‘Winter Scudetto’.
You can read our match preview here, while below are the best pre-match stats courtesy of Opta…
➤ Milan have only won once in their last 10 Serie A meetings against Atalanta (D6 L3): among teams they have faced more than three times in the top-flight since 2015-16, the Rossoneri have won fewer games against no other side (also one against Napoli).
➤ Milan are winless in their last six home Serie A games against Atalanta (D4 L2) since a 3-0 win in January 2014.
➤ In the era of three points for a win, Milan and Atalanta have only faced off once in the 19th matchday (half-way point of a 20-team league). This was Atalanta’s 1-0 win in Milan in January 2015.
➤ Milan (W13) are only one win away from equalling their highest win total in the first half of a Serie A season containing 20-team (14 wins in 1950/51, in which they won the Scudetto).
➤ Atalanta’s best points tally in the first half of a 20-team Serie A season was 35, achieved in 2016-17 and 2019-20.
➤ Milan have scored the most goals (15) in the first 30 minutes of play in Serie A this season (including seven of their last 12), while Atalanta (11) are joint-third in this ranking, behind Roma in second (12).
➤ Milan’s Stefano Pioli has won six of his 14 previous Serie A meetings with Atalanta’s Gian Piero Gasperini (D4 L4). A win here would mean Pioli has beaten Gasperini more than any other opposing manager in Serie A (six is currently level with Mihajlovic and Donadoni).
➤ Atalanta’s Josip Ilicic has been involved in six goals in his last five games against Milan in Serie A (three goals and three assists). Indeed, he has scored five goals in total against the Rossoneri in the top-flight, including two at San Siro (December 2017 and October 2014).
➤ Zlatan Ibrahimovic (498) is only two goals away from reaching 500 goals in all competitions in club football. He has only scored more for PSG (156) than Milan (80).
➤ Among goalkeepers with at least 10 appearances in Serie A this season, Atalanta’s Pierluigi Gollini (74.1%) and Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma (73.8%) are two of the four goalkeepers with a save rate of above 70% (also Silvestri and Reina).
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