SPEZIA v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

A lot is at stake in Spezia v AC Milan. The hosts are trying to climb out of the relegation zone and, with a win, would draw level with fourth-from-bottom Verona should the latter fall to defeat against Torino. The Rossoneri, meanwhile, have the chance to build on their important victory over Lazio and put pressure on the other teams chasing the top four.   

The Aquilotti haven't won in eight league games and have lost their last three, meaning they find themselves in a precarious position in the table. They’ve won one game in eleven since Semplici took charge, against Inter at home on 10 March.

SPEZIA ON THE HUNT FOR GOALS AND HOME CLEAN SHEETS
Spezia continue to struggle to score and failed to find the net in their most recent league encounter, a 2-0 defeat to Cremonese. M'Bala Nzola has bagged 46% of his team's goals (13/28); percentage-wise, no Serie A player is ahead of him in this regard. There's also work to be done in defence, especially at home: only Verona (30) have conceded more goals than Spezia (26) on home turf during the 2022/23 Serie A campaign.

It also seems like the Aquilotti need to be more alert to shots from distance. Indeed, they're the team that have conceded the most goals in this manner: 11, two of which were scored two matchdays ago as Roon and Zappacosta found the net for Atalanta.

PLENTY RESTING ON NZOLA'S SHOULDERS, VERDE HOPING TO MAKE ANOTHER IMPACT
Spezia's hopes of avoiding relegation will rest on M'Bala Nzola, who is enjoying is best-ever season in Serie A on the goalscoring front. Indeed, he's bagged 13 goals this campaign and, as already mentioned, is the player who, percentage-wise, has made the most significant contribution to his team's goal tally, although he hasn't found the net for three league matches. The Angolan hasn't gone four consecutive games without scoring during the current Serie A season (three successive matches between August and September, too).

The Aquilotti's last Serie A victory - a 2-1 success against Inter in March - arrived thanks to Nzola's decisive penalty in the 87th minute. In addition to the African striker, the Rossoneri will have to keep a close eye on Daniele Verde, who scored eight goals and registered six assists in the league last season. The 26-year-old has netted three times this campaign and has been involved in two goals against the Rossoneri (a goal and an assist) in recent times.

The PUMA AC Milan Kits for the 2022/23 season are available: get yours now!