SALERNITANA v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

AC Milan's 2023 opens at Salernitana's home ground, one of the revelation teams in this Serie A season. The Rossoneri, who are aiming to get the three points away from San Siro for the first time since 16 October (a defeat and a draw in their two most recent away games after the 2-1 win at the Bentegodi against Verona), face the side with the widest points difference between the 21/22 season and the current one (+9). Nicola's eleven have in fact collected 17 in the first 15 matches of this season, while in the previous one, after the same number of matches, they were on eight. The granata have lost their two most recent matches - against Fiorentina and Monza - but with Davide Nicola as coach, they have only once recorded three consecutive defeats (between last March and April).

On the contrary, the home performance shows three wins in the last six home league matches (2D, 1L), as many as the Campania team had won in the previous 20 Serie A matches played at the Arechi since their return to the top flight. The Granata will attempt to improve their home record and will undoubtedly be aiming for their seventh consecutive home game with a goal, considering that the Campania outfit have not managed it in a single fixture since May '99: 17 out of 17, the first of which was against AC Milan (1-2 on 20 September 1998).

LOTS OF SHOTS FROM OUTSIDE, LOOSE BALLS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD: SALERNITANA BETWEEN ATTACK AND DEFENCE
Which Salernitana will Pioli's AC Milan face? Let's start with the most significant aspects from a defensive point of view, where dead balls are both a strength and a weakness for Nicola's team. Weak because 21% of the goals conceded so far have come from set-pieces (5/24) and, in the first 15 matchdays of this season in particular, no team has conceded more than the Campania side both from indirect free-kicks (two) and from the penalty spot (three, including the last one against Monza). At the same time, however, Salernitana boast a record in these situations as they are, along with Udinese, one of the two sides who have yet to concede a goal from a corner kick.

The number of defensive stops made so far by Nicola's team (261), placing them sixth in this ranking, could also be included in this statistic. On the offensive side, however, there is one statistic that stands out more than others: that of shots from outside the box. 73 of Salernitana's 167 shots in this league have come from distance (44%) - no team has recorded a higher percentage in Serie A 2022/23 (such as Monza and Bologna). In short, Granata players are inclined to look for the goal from distance (first in this classification are the disqualified Candreva and Vilhena, both with 13), although only once in the current competition has the shot turned into a goal: on 22 October, against Spezia, with Pasquale Mazzocchi scoring.

DIA NUMBER ONE DANGER, BUT WATCH OUT FOR BONAZZOLI AND FORMER PLAYER KRZYSZTOF PIĄTEK
Among the Salernitana ranks, in the match against AC Milan, the most awaited are three, albeit for different reasons. The first is undoubtedly Boulaye Dia, who is the first Salernitana player to surpass five goals in a season in Serie A after 15 matches for the Campania side in the league (the fastest to do better with the Granata in the tournament was Marco Di Vaio in 1998/99, who reached seven goals in his 23rd game for the club). The Senegalese striker also has an excellent feel for goal in the last 15 minutes of the game, being the highest scorer in this interval in the current tournament with three goals to his name. 

The second of the Salernitans who the AC Milan defence will have to pay particular attention to is Federico Bonazzoli. The 26 year-old striker, first among the Campania side for shots taken so far in this competition (22), has a prestigious record in his sights: equalling - if not surpassing - Marco Di Vaio as Salernitana's top scorer in Serie A. The 25-year-old from Manerbio is currently at 11, 1 away from the former player, who precedes him at 12. Last, but certainly not least, is former Rossoneri Krzysztof Piątek, who made 36 appearances, topped by 13 goals, with the AC Milan shirt in Serie A between January 2019 and January 2020. The Polish forward has unquestionable finishing qualities and the Milanello side know this well. Four appearances so far in the current championship for him in the Granata shirt (three goals, two of them at home, and one assist) - less only Dia at eight.

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