AC Milan obtained a vital three points in their quest for a top four spot as they beat Lecce yesterday evening at San Siro, with Rafael Leao getting both goals in a 2-0 win.
The Rossoneri did not slip up after reaching the Champions league semi-finals in midweek, getting a win and a clean sheet on the board ahead of Saturday’s crucial game in the capital against Roma.
Below are the key stats from the victory against Lecce, via the official website…
➤ Milan have won six of their 10 league games played after a Champions League round this season (D2 L2).
➤ Milan have kept three clean sheets in their last four Serie A fixtures, which is as many clean sheets as in their previous 13 games.
➤ Milan have scored four goals from corners in this season’s Serie A, all coming at home.
➤ Rafael Leão has set a new personal record for the number of goals scored in a single Serie A campaign (12), beating last season’s eleven goals. The Portuguese man grabbed his fourth brace in Serie A, and his first at San Siro since September 2022 (against Inter).
➤ Rafael Leão is the second Portuguese player to score more than 10 goals in two consecutive seasons in Serie A, after Cristiano Ronaldo (21 in 2018-19, 31 in 2019-20 and 29 in 2020-21).
➤ Rafael Leão has now scored two headed goals in Serie A, both against Lecce (the first in June 2020). The side from Apulia are the side he has scored the most number of goals against in Serie A (four).
➤ Sandro Tonali has provided six assists in Serie A this season, with only other midfielders Piotr Zielinski (7), Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (8) and Filip Kostic (8) having more in the top-flight.
Zielinski – Attacking midfielder in Napoli’s all attack side. Have Osimhen and Kvara in front of him to give assists to.
SMS – Attacking midfielder and great player no doubt.
Kostic – Winger, half-winger who crosses the ball from the by-line and every opportunity.
Tonali – Defensive midfielder with 6 assists to his name, yet people say he’s not “creative” or not good enough.
Why not take the research even further to discover that half of those assists comes as a cross from a corner kick or a second ball from a corner kick.
The assists are as a result of him being the setpiece taker, and has nothing to do with his playing position or his creativity quotient.
NB. I’m not in anyway saying Tonali isn’t a good player, I’m simply responding to your quote, and no malice intended.
Then let’s be appreciative of him being a good set piece taker. Milan need that after the supposedly ‘free kick specialist’ snake left us.
Yeah, actually my point.
Actually, only one of them has come directly from setpieces, against Roma. The rest are all amazing assists, from the interception and assist in the derby to the great ball over the top for Giroud against Spezia to another amazing first time pass for Leao against Salernitana, to that masterclass of battling and assisting versus Napoli.
I’m sure Zielinski have more assists from setpieces.