LAZIO v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

A tricky away match for Pioli's AC Milan: on Tuesday evening, the Diavolo will close out the first half of the Serie A season against Sarri's Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. The Rossoneri and Biancocelesti arrive at the fixture - the 159th in the top flight - with different ambitions and needs. On the one hand, the reigning Italian champions are called upon to erase the 3-0 loss in the Supercoppa against Inter and return to winning ways in Serie A after draws against Lecce and Roma. On the other hand, Lazio are looking for continuity, especially at home, as the recent record shows only one win in their last four home league games (2W, 1L), after having won four of the first five at the Olimpico in the competition.

In addition to the results, the emphasis should also be placed on the current defensive performance of the two teams, an aspect that currently benefits the Biancocelesti: Lazio have kept a clean sheet in ten of the eighteen matches this season (only Juventus with twelve ahead of them), already improving the number of clean sheets from the entire last Serie A season, when there were nine in 38 matches. A.C. Milan, on the other hand, have conceded goals in each of their last four league fixtures and have never recorded more than four matches in a row with at least one goal conceded - the last time was in April 2021 (seven consecutive matches in that case).

LAZIO CONCEDES FEW GOALS, WATCH OUT FOR ATTACKING MINDED MIDFIELDERS
A defence like few others. With fifteen goals conceded in seventeen matches, Lazio boasts the third-best defence in this Serie A, behind Juventus (twelve) and Napoli (fourteen). If we fail to score in the first half, the Biancocelesti will climb to second place in the five biggest European leagues so far: three goals conceded (behind only Newcastle, who lead this particular ranking with just two goals conceded in the first half). Inevitably linked to this figure are the number of goals in the other half that Lazio have conceded so far in Serie A: 58, a number that gives Sarri's men fourth rank, behind Napoli (49), Roma (54) and Sassuolo (57).

While defensive strength stands out, the detail on their most prolific offensive players is no less impressive. Lazio is the only team that already has three players in double figures in goals and assists in the current season - two of them midfielders: Milinković-Savić (three goals and eight assists), Zaccagni and Immobile (both seven goals and three assists), although the striker will be the illustrious absentee. Solidity in defence and creativity in attack: two potentially explosive elements that promise a high tempo match.

ZACCAGNI IN FORM, MILINKOVIĆ AIMS FOR FIRST GOAL AGAINST AC MILAN
Although it is inevitable that Ciro Immobile's injury - seven goals in his last eight matches against AC Milan in Serie A - is likely to have a negative impact on the performance of the Biancocelesti offensive department, Maurizio Sarri will be able to count on several players ahead of the big match with the Diavolo. Danger number one is undoubtedly Zaccagni. First and foremost, the 27 year-old is - like his injured partner - one of the two best Biancocelesti scorers in this Serie A, with seven goals to his credit (a record for the Italian in a Serie A season, who scored only six in 2021/22). Among midfielders, however, the 27-year-old from Cesena has no equals: he leads the league in goals scored in the current season (two behind is Felipe Anderson, who also scored in the Coppa Italia match against Bologna).

When talking about the midfield in the Formello area, Milinković-Savić must also be mentioned as one of the players to watch. AC Milan are among the teams he has never scored against in Serie A, the one the Serbian has faced the most times (thirteen), but the 'Sergente', even when he doesn't score, is a fundamental pawn in Lazio's offensive unit: eight assists in seventeen games played, at least three more than any other player in the same position in the league. He will also be an unpleasant opponent for Tomori and his team-mates in the aerial game: 40 headed duels won, no midfielder has done better so far.

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