AC Milan will be looking to head into the Christmas break in the best possible way by beating Empoli tonight at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
Milan need to bounce back from their defeat against Napoli at the weekend as the Rossoneri were beaten 1-0 by Luciano Spalletti’s side on Sunday night with Elmas scoring the winner within five minutes. It means that Pioli’s men have amassed just seven points from their last six games so a response is needed.
You can read our pre-match preview here, while below are the best stats ahead of the game…
➤ Milan have lost only one of their last nine Serie A matches against Empoli (1-2, in April 2017, with Vincenzo Montella on the bench): four wins and four draws.
➤ In their last 30 Serie A matches against teams from Lombardia, Empoli have only achieved two wins (2-1 v Milan in 2017 and 3-2 v Atalanta in 2018) with nine draws and 19 defeats.
➤ Milan are unbeaten in 20 of their last 21 Serie A games against newly promoted teams (W15 D5): with the only exception, the 0-2 away defeat against Spezia in February 2021.
➤ Milan have won their last three games played on a Wednesday in the league, with an overall score of 12-0; their last Serie A defeat on this day of the week dates back to February 2012 (0-2 v Lazio); since then, eight wins and six draws.
➤ Empoli have won their last two home league games and could reach three wins in a row, at home in the competition, for the first time since December 2018, with Giuseppe Iachini on the bench.
➤ In their last away match in 2021, Milan could become the second team in Serie A history to achieve at least 17 away league wins in a single calendar year (after Napoli’s 18 in 2017 – Atalanta also on 16 before matchday 19); however, the Rossoneri have only won one of their three away games played since November (D1 L1).
➤ Empoli are unbeaten in five Serie A games: the Tuscans have not recorded a longer unbeaten streak in the competition since March 2015 (eight).
➤ Patrick Cutrone’s first 63 appearances and first 13 Serie A goals were in a Milan shirt between 2017 and 2019; the Empoli striker has played two games, for a total of 44 minutes, against the Rossoneri, in the top-flight, without finding goals, assists or shots.
➤ After scoring three goals and delivering one assist in his first six Serie A appearances this season, Brahim Díaz has failed to score in his last eight, assisting only two goals.