AC MILAN v FC SALZBURG: FUN FACTS

It’s winner takes all time: three points and it's a place in the last 16; lose and the Europa League beckons. Even a draw would suffice for Stefano Pioli's AC Milan to get past the Champions League group stages, but on the eve of such a crucial game one shouldn't rely too much on the maybes. Instead, let's take a look at some fun facts and stats ahead of the game with FC Salzburg:

A POSITIVE TREND
Unbeaten in three European ties against FC Salzburg (two wins and a draw), AC Milan have a strong record against Austrian opponents in European competitions, with eight wins, three draws and only one defeat. The Rossoneri haven't been beaten in their last eight games against sides from Austria (six wins) and have never lost at San Siro, scoring 19 times in five games (four wins and a draw).

ROSSONERI SUCCESSES
With a victory, AC Milan would earn back-to-back Champions League wins for the first time since October 2011. We would need to go further back in time, to the 2007/08 season, to find the last time the Rossoneri were able to win at least three games in the group stages of the competition.

FOUR GOALS
In Zagreb, AC Milan scored four goals in a Champions League match for the first since February 2012 when they beat Arsenal 4-0. They haven't netted four goals in two consecutive games in Europe's top competition since 2004, when they beat Sparta Prague 4-1 and followed that up with another 4-1 win over Deportivo La Coruña.

DEFENCE AND ATTACK
Pioli's side go into the final group game having scored eight goals in five matches. Not since 2011/12 have AC Milan scored more (then they had eleven to their name) in the Champions League group stages. To obtain qualification, contribution from the defence will also be vital: the Rossoneri have, in fact, conceded in their last six Champions League home fixtures, with the last clean sheet dating back to December 2013 in a goalless draw with Ajax.

THE BEST OF YOUTH
After being the youngest squad to ever win a Scudetto in the three points for a win era, Stefano Pioli's AC Milan will come up against the youngest squad in this year's edition; FC Salzburg have an average age of 22 years and 279 days. This can also be seen in the goals scored column: five out of eight goals for the Rossoneri have come from players born in 1999 (two for Saelemaekers, one each for Gabbia, Leão and Pobega), while all 15 goals for the Austrians under Matthias Jaissle, in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, have been put away by 23-year-olds or under.

THE LONGEVITY OF OLI
The exception to the Rossoneri's youth goal-getting rule in this Champions League campaign is Olivier Giroud, who with two goals – one each against Dinamo Zagreb, home and away – has become the oldest player to reach 20 Champions League career goals, at the age of 36 years and 25 days. But the French striker hasn't scored in two successive games in the competition since his Chelsea days back in December 2020.

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