AC Milan secured a return to the Champions League by beating Atalanta 2-0 away from home on Sunday night, obtaining a second-placed finish too.
Franck Kessie scored a brace from the penalty spot as the Rossoneri won in Bergamo by a two-goal margin, taking care of business after a disappointing draw to Cagliari last week.
Below are the best stats from the game, courtesy of the club’s official website…
➤ Milan are back in the UEFA Champions League following a seven-season absence (2013-14, when they were eliminated in the Last 16 against Atletico Madrid), 7 seasons ago.
➤ The Rossoneri have set a new all-time record for away wins in a Serie A season: 16 – no side has ever done better in Europe’s ‘top five’ leagues in a single campaign (16 also for Real Madrid 2011-12 and Manchester City 2017-18).
➤ Milan have kept a clean sheet in five consecutive Serie A games for the first time since March 2006.
➤ Franck Kessie is the first player to score 10+ penalties for Milan in a Serie A season since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2011-12. The Ivorian is also the first Milan player to score a brace from the spot since Kaká in April 2009 against Palermo.
➤ Franck Kessie is one of the two Serie A players to play 50 games this season in all competitions (along Matteo Politano).
➤ Simon Kjær has now played 300 games in Europe’s Top-5 leagues, 132 of these in Serie A.
➤ Milan have defeated each of the other 19 Serie A teams at least once for the first time since the 1961-62 campaign.
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What a year for Kessie! I would let Donnarumma leave and give the armband to Kessie, he earned the damn thing every time he set a foot on the pitch.
Oh and don’t even get me started with Romagnoli. He hasn’t been a captain for god knows how long. In my mind, we already sold him.