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AC Milan got the job done against Lazio on Saturday evening, moving to the top of the table after a goal from Rafael Leao. As always, there were some interesting things to note stats-wise.
It wasn’t the best of games from Milan, that much is clear, but they battled to stay in the game and eventually got their reward. Catching the Lazio defence off guard for just a few seconds, they found a way through and Leao was able to tap it in.
The final minutes ended up being rather dramatic, with a red card for Massimiliano Allegri and a penalty denied for Lazio, but the Rossoneri managed to see out the game. Below, we have highlighted some of the key stats…
Cagey affair
Taking a look at the general stats from the game, it’s fair to describe it as a rather cagey affair. Possession shifted between the two teams rather evenly, with Lazio coming out on top at 53%, while they both had just four shots on target each.
Leao’s goal yielded a rather high xG, as you can see, while Lazio struggled to break down Milan aside from Mario Gila’s early header. At the end of the day, the Rossoneri certainly didn’t snatch the three points but the game easily could have ended 0-0 too.
1-0 is the way to go
Yesterday, Milan clinched their third 1-0 win in four games, showcasing what many would describe as Allegri ball or Allegrismo. It has certainly made the endings more dramatic, especially yesterday as Lazio were nearly awarded a penalty.
In addition to the above, it was also the Rossoneri’s sixth game that they have prevailed with a one-goal margin so far this season. It remains to be seen if Allegri will make some changes to increase the goalscoring output, but for now, we’re not complaining.
Leao shines so far
It has been a very strong start to the season for Leao, just as Milan requested in the summer. He now has six goals and one assist in ten appearances, showing that he can perform in a front two as well. Yesterday’s goal certainly involved a striker’s instinct, which was nice to see.
The winger has now been involved in at least one goal (four goals and one assist) in four consecutive matches at San Siro for only the second time in Serie A, first achieving it between May and September 2023 (a streak of five in that case).
In addition to that, he’s one of the most prolific players in the league since the 2019-20 season, having been involved in 101 goals (60 goals, 41 assists). Only three have done better in that period, namely Berardi (115, Sassuolo), Immobile (125, Lazio) and Lautaro Martinez (139, Inter).
Tomori, the assist man?
Fikayo Tomori played a crucial role in last night’s win as he got the assist for Leao’s goal. He made a great run down the right-hand flank and received the ball from Youssouf Fofana, before sending a great cross into the box for the No.10 to pounce on.
The Englishman only has five assists for the Rossoneri and two of them have come this year, with the first one being for Luka Jovic’s equaliser against Fiorentina in April. Hopefully, he can continue like this in the attacking phase.
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