SASSUOLO v AC MILAN: FUN FACTS

Tomorrow sees Stefano Pioli's AC Milan take their second away trip of the season and play their first midweek game as they face Alessio Dionisi's Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium, kick-off at 18:30 CEST. After both teams earned a win against each other last season, the Rossoneri go into the game having gained seven points in their first three outings, while the Neroverdi have four. On the eve of the game, here are some interesting facts and stats surrounding the two clubs:

LOOKING FOR A RECORD
AC Milan clinched their 19th Scudetto title last season at the Mapei Stadium. The Rossoneri have come away from Reggio Emilia with all three points in their last six visits in Serie A. Were they to win this next game, they would complete a record of having earned the most consecutive away wins in the league against any single opponent.

MIDWEEK MATCHES
Tomorrow's game isn't the first time the two teams will have met midweek. There have been three previous meetings, with AC Milan winning the only time it has happened at the Mapei Stadium, 2-1 in July 2020. 

LEÃO AND GIROUD COMBINE
Three out of Olivier Giroud's last four goals in Serie A have come from a Rafael Leão assist. In general, to no other player has the Portuguese player provided more assists than to the Frenchman since playing in the Italian top-flight (four, the same as Ibrahimović). Leão has played a part in three goals (one goal and two assists) in the last five games against Sassuolo in Serie A, all of them arriving at the Mapei Stadium. 

DEFENSIVE SOLIDITY
In 2022, along with Real Sociedad, AC Milan are the team that has collected the most clean sheets (13) in Europe's top 5 leagues. The Rossoneri are unbeaten in 19 Serie A away games (16 wins and three draws) against sides from Emilia-Romagna. Furthermore, Pioli's side could come away with a second consecutive clean sheet from Emilia - after their 3-0 win over Sassuolo last May - for the first time since February 2018, where they achieved five consecutive games without conceding against teams from Emilia-Romagna. 

DEBUTS AND GOALS
Tommaso Pobega made his Serie A debut on 27 September 2020 against Sassuolo wearing the shirt of Spezia. Alexis Saelemaekers only away goal in Serie A came at the Mapei Stadium in AC Milan's 2-1 victory on 20 December 2020.

PIOLI AND THE NEROVERDI
Five out of seven victories against Sassuolo for Stefano Pioli as Head Coach in Serie A have come away from home, including the last three. The Rossoneri Head Coach, who led the Neroverdi in the 2009/10 season, has drawn only two of his 15 matches as Head Coach against Sassuolo in Serie A. Only against Fiorentina (1) has he drawn less against teams he has faced at least ten times in the competition.  

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