AC Milan and Lazio renew hostilities tonight at the Stadio Olimpico with Stefano Pioli’s men in dire need of a win to keep up with Inter in the title race.
A response from the Rossoneri is needed after the disappointing cup semi-final defeat against Inter in midweek, and the Nerazzurri also beat Roma 3-1 last night to continue their charge towards defending their title. You can read our pre-match preview here, while below are the best stats ahead of the game…
➤ Milan beat Lazio 2-0 in the reverse fixture but have not managed to win both games against the Biancocelesti in the same league season since the 2008-09 edition (Carlo Ancelotti was the Rossoneri coach).
➤ Also considering the Coppa Italia win, Milan have already beaten Lazio twice this season (both at the Meazza): the last season in which they collected three wins against them was in 2004-05 (a success in the Super Cup and two in the league).
➤ In the last nine games at the Olimpico between Lazio and Milan in Serie A, the same result has never been repeated twice in a row (four Biancocelesti wins, three draws, two Rossoneri successes): it is since 2012 that Lazio have failed to win two consecutive league games at home against Milan.
➤ Lazio have lost 13 of their last 14 Serie A games against teams that started the matchday as league leaders (the exception in this set is the 2-1 victory over Inter on February 16th 2020).
➤ Milan have collected six consecutive clean sheets in Serie A and last had a longer run in February 1994 (nine games): the Rossoneri have conceded only seven league goals in 2022 (in 14 matches), only Liverpool (six goals conceded in 12 games) have shipped fewer since the beginning of the year in the Big-5 European Leagues.
➤ Two of the four teams that have kept the most clean sheets in the second part of this Serie A season compete in this match: nine for Milan and six for Lazio (same as Roma and Genoa).
➤ Milan have claimed 71 points in their first 33 matches this season: this is their best return since the 2010-11 season (71), when at the end of the season they won their last Scudetto.
➤ Lazio have scored the most goals in the last half hour of play in Serie A this season (25 goals scored). A section of the game in which Milan have conceded four of their last six Serie A goals (including the last away, Djuric in February in Salernitana-Milan).
➤ Lazio’s forward Ciro Immobile – seven goals in 14 Serie A matches against Milan – could become the fourth player in the ‘top five’ European Leagues (after Lewandowski, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo) to score more than 25 goals in a single season at least three times since the start of 2016-17 (his first season at Lazio).
➤ Rafael Leão could become the fifth Portuguese player to reach double figures for goals in a single Serie A season, after Cristiano Ronaldo, Rui Barros, Rui Costa and Beto; among these, however, the Milan striker would be the only one to achieve this before turning 23 years.
If Milan gets a point today, UCL is secured
3 punti must secure from Lazio