AT THE BREAK: WEEKS OF CONSTANT GROWTH

The international break in November 2023 and the one now beginning in March 2024 have been separated by 25 matches. Indeed, during this period, AC Milan have played 17 league matches, two Coppa Italia games and six fixtures in Europe (two in the Champions League and four in the Europa League). With the team having taken to the pitch so often, there hasn't been much time to reflect. While there have been weeks without any midweek action - albeit not many, it must be said - the first proper break in a long time now awaits the Rossoneri world.

The past four uninterrupted months have seen Coach Pioli's men continue to improve. There have been difficult moments, including tough-to-take results and injury problems, but the team have been able to respond through their hard work, picking up lots of points along the way. After their twelfth game of the Serie A season, the final matchday before the last international break, AC Milan were third with 23 points, six behind second place and three ahead of fifth. It was a complicated period (the team had picked up just two points from four matches), but now the situation is completely different.

In their 17 league fixtures since then, the Rossoneri have picked up 39 points (twelve wins, three draws and two defeats); only Inter have done better. The league table highlights the progress the team have made: Calabria and Co now sit second with an eleven-point advantage over fifth as we wait to see whether Italy will have five teams in next season's Champions League. Notably, the Diavolo have made a marked improvement in attack: their goalscoring average has gone from 1.66 to 2.05 goals per match, with the team having found the net in every game since matchday 13.

Various players have pitched in with goals. Three - Giroud, Pulisic and Leão - have already reached double figures across all competitions, with two (Loftus-Cheek and Jović) close to joining this group. Defensively, the Rossoneri have made strides forward in recent weeks. Pioli's men have kept five clean sheets in 2024 and, in general, have afforded their opponents much less space in recent Serie A outings, also thanks to the return of several players. When the league resumes, the final sprint awaits, and the Rossoneri still have the chance to achieve important objectives. Second place (which would also secure qualification for the Supercoppa Italiana) is in their grasp, while they're in with a chance of winning a European competition in the form of the Europa League. The aim is for the progress to continue.

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