AC MILAN v ATALANTA: OPPONENT REVIEW

Matchday 24 of Serie A features an AC Milan vs Atalanta match with a European flavour on Sunday evening at San Siro. The two sides drew 1-1 in the first leg, goals from Malinovskyi and Bennacer, but in this match, the Diavolo welcome a Dea side with a mixed bag of performances, having lost three of their last four matches in all competitions after four wins and two draws in the first six of the new year. Despite their fluctuating performance, Atalanta should not be underestimated, especially in relation to away results: only Napoli (31) have earned more away points than Dea in this championship (24 in 12 matches).

Atalanta's attitude, regardless of the home crowd, at times, mirrors that of the Rossoneri, so much so that AC Milan (62) and Atalanta (55) are both in the top four teams in the current European big-5 leagues in terms of the number of direct attacks - defined as the actions that begin in their own half of the pitch and have at least 50% forward movement, ending with a shot or a touch in the opponent's box. In addition, both teams have a strong scoring streak in the second half, having scored 24 (Atalanta) and 23 (Milan) goals in the second half, fewer only than Napoli (30). Another proven prerogative of Atalanta is the number of different players that have scored: already 17, a tournament record.

ATALANTA ARE A TEAM OF TENACIOUS PLAYERS WITH GREAT SHOOTING ABILITY
A well-known characteristic of Gasperini's team for the past several seasons, is their ability to recover the ball, with a full-pitch press on opponents. Atalanta is first in terms of balls recovered: 1554, of which 180 are within a maximum of 40 metres of the opponent's goal (only five teams have more). The coach's diktat is clear: allowing little room for manoeuvre to the opponents, always trying to understand and anticipate the intentions of the ball carriers. It is no coincidence that the Bergamaschi are also excellent in the number of interceptions: 258.

Gasp's performers are therefore adept at winning back possession, managing it, and above all, finishing in the opponent's area. This last aspect is undoubtedly confirmed by the percentage of shots on target, as more than half of the Nerazzurri's shots head for goal (52%). The deadeye accuracy is also reflected in the goals from distance: eight already in this Serie A - a record in the current season - including one in the first leg against AC Milan, signed by former Atalanta player Malinovskyi. Finally, watch out for Dea's 13.3% scoring percentage, the third-best figure recorded in the first 23 matches.

HØJLUND AND LOOKMAN ONES-TO-WATCH, BUT ALSO WATCH OUT FOR 'FINISHER' BOGA
If in previous seasons Atalanta built its fortunes on the Colombian pair Muriel-Zapata, in the current one another is the driving tandem of the Bergamo formation. Already this season, the newly-acquired Højlund and Lookman had shown important qualities, but it is definitely post-World Cup that they are performing at a high level. Despite his young age, the 2003-born Danish gem is showing considerable scoring ability. Five of his six league goals have come in the new year, a period in which only Osimhen (9) and Lautaro Martínez (6) have done better in Serie A. His goalscoring haul earns him a significant statistic: he is the fifth youngest foreign player in the three-point era to score at least six goals before reaching 20 Serie A appearances (better than him only Adriano, Icardi, Kessié and Pato).

Højlund has found a reliable sidekick who is having his best season in the European top-five leagues: Lookman. Since the start of 2023, only Osimhen (10) and Ben Yedder (9) have more goal-scoring appearances than Lookman in Europe's top 5 leagues (eight in seven matches, resulting in five goals and three assists). Overall, the Nigerian has scored 12 goals this season and is the third top-scorer in the tournament. His performance, however, is not the only one emerging. The break for the World Cup has returned another great performer: Boga. The Dea outfielder is the player who has provided the most assists in Europe's top five leagues in 2023 (5). The former Sassuolo man is also the player with the most chances created for his teammates (21) and the most successful dribbles (16) in Serie A in the new calendar year.

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