AC Milan rounded off a positive week with a 3-0 victory against Monza at the San Siro on Sunday evening. The result also further aided Milan’s hopes of Champions League qualification, as they are five points clear of fifth-placed Napoli, following the result.
It was a relatively straightforward performance for the Rossoneri, with very few negatives to speak of. In comparison, there are a heap of positives to speak about, from the quality of the goals to performances. There was much to be enjoyed for those in attendance at the San Siro. You can read five of our key talking points here.
So, with that being said, let’s dive into some of the key stats from the fixture.
Overall stats
Many suggested that the version of Stefano Pioli’s side seen on Sunday was the one closest to the side seen at the start of the Serie A season, and the stats also back this up.
The most vital stat of them all is the scoreline. Cliché, yes, but it needs to be said. On Sunday evening Milan were very good and deserved the scoreline which they won by. There can be complaints, of course, but the general game from a Milan perspective was one in which the Rossoneri did what they needed to and showed potentially their best self (at least whilst players are injured).
On the topic of goals, it is the highest expected goals (xG) total that the side has created since the 4-1 dismantling of Torino earlier in the season, in which the Rossoneri created 3.09 xG.
The kid is alright!
After Tommaso Pobega’s injury, which caused him to be substituted, on came the much-spoken-about Jan-Carlo Simic. The youngster has been the topic of discussion for some time now, with him being in and around the first team regularly since November.
When he came onto the pitch, he proved why he deserved to be so. It is probably a good time to remind ourselves that he is only 18 years old because his performance reflected a player much his senior.
He displayed several great defensive qualities, making three blocks and winning both of his duels – one aerial, one ground. Additionally, he was very calm on the ball, which is a lovely trait for a defender to possess in the modern game.
Additionally, he popped up with a goal, which rounded off a really good display from the youngster. Additionally, it puts him third among AC Milan’s youngest goalscorers, behind Alberto Paloschi and a certain Alexandre Pato.
Ale in the middle
On Sunday evening, Alessandro Florenzi played a brilliant all-round game. However, the key points will likely, and deservingly, be about his engine and work rate. The wing-back was seemingly everywhere for Milan, offensively and defensively, given he covered 10.65km.
Pioli opted to move the right-back to his preferred side, having started him as a left-back in recent weeks, likely due to the suspension of Davide Calabria. However, there may be shouts for the 58-year-old to consider Florenzi continuing there, even when Calabria returns.
Finally, he also contributed some goal threat for his side. He made two key passes, although this is not what will come to mind when speaking about his performance. Instead, his two shots on target, though they only had an xG of 0.08, had a combined xGOT (a metric that measures the likeliness of a shot on target resulting in a goal, based on the xG and the end location of the shot) of 0.78.
