AC Milan have found themselves in a do or die situation, knowing only a win will be enough to secure a top four finish after a rollercoaster season.
The draw against Cagliari a week ago has meant that Milan could potentially even be classed as the underdogs to reach the top four given the recent record against Atalanta and the fact that both Juventus and Napoli have easier fixtures.
You can read the pre-match preview here, while below are the best stats…
➤ Milan have only achieved one win in their last 11 Serie A games against Atalanta (D6, L4): a 3-1 away win in February 2019, with Gennaro Gattuso on the bench.
➤ Atalanta won their last home game against Milan in Serie A (5-0) – only once in their history have the Nerazzurri have achieved two consecutive home wins against the Rossoneri in the competition, between 2006 and 2008.
➤ Atalanta could win eight home games in a row for the first time in their history in Serie A: they are currently at seven, while having also achieved seven wins in 1948, 1968 and 2020.
➤ Atalanta have gained 78 points in this Serie A season: equalling their record, recorded last season.
➤ Milan have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four Serie A games and last had a longer such run in March 2006 (five); Atalanta have scored 27 goals in their last nine home league games, averaging three per match.
➤ With a win, Milan can set a new all-time record for away wins in a Serie A season: they are currently at 15 (one draw and two defeats), which Inter also achieved in 2006-07.
➤ Milan can become the second team in the history of Serie A to finish a season outside of the top four in the standings after being Campione d’Inverno; before only Juventus in 1935-36 (who closed the competition in fifth place).
➤ Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskiy is the first midfielder to have been involved in a goal for 10 consecutive Serie A games since 2004-05 – overall (all positions), only Fabio Quagliarella (11 in 2018-19) and Cristiano Ronaldo (18 in 2019-20) have had longer such runs during this period.
➤ Since the beginning of the last decade, only two Milan midfielders have been involved in at least 15 goals in a Serie A season: Hakan Calhanoglu (18 in 2019-20) and former Atalanta player Franck Kessié (15: 11 goals and four assists this season).
