AC MILAN v FIORENTINA: OPPONENT REVIEW

The league campaign gets back under way at the same time as AC Milan's pursuit of moving back up to the higher positions in the table. At San Siro, on Saturday 25 November at 20:45 CET, the Rossoneri face a tricky opponent in Fiorentina, who are back on track thanks to their win over Bologna before the international break. Italiano's side has thus recovered from a sticky moment of three consecutive defeats, as many as in the previous 24 top-flight fixtures.

It's a streak in which the Tuscan team did not show any particularly negative signs, continuously demonstrating to have a clear and visible technical and tactical identity, despite some difficulties in scoring. AC Milan are looking to return to winning ways at home in the league and will face the only opponent against whom, in their history, they have won at least 50 home games in Serie A. The Tuscans, on the other hand, are chasing their fourth success in their opening seven away games played in a season, a milestone only achieved three times: in 1955/56, in 2013/14 and in 2015/16.

A PERFECT, AGGRESSIVE APPROACH
Setting the latest poor run aside, it cannot be said that Fiorentina are struggling to take their chances: in 2023, the Tuscans have scored 97 goals in all competitions, more than any other Serie A side and less only than Manchester City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen in Europe's top-five leagues. In a single calendar year, the Viola have only done better in 2015, with 101 goals. It's an achievement that is the result of the excellent work done by Vincenzo Italiano, who has set a very specific path, offering effective football, since his arrival.

The Tuscans look to both control the game - as shown by a 56.9% ball-possession average, only lower than Napoli's 58.7% - and to win the ball back as close as possible to the opponent's area. In this season's Serie A, no team has won the ball back higher up the pitch than Fiorentina (180), who are second only to Napoli (112) in terms of the number of offensive ball recoveries made (109). An aggressive mentality, clear ideas and an excellent approach to the match are key to Italiano's team. But not only, because they are the most prolific in the opening 15 minutes of play (six goals scored); they are also the team that has scored first the most numbers in the current campaign. In fact, the Viola's first goal, on average, comes in the 15th minute, at least 13 minutes earlier than any other opponent.

BONAVENTURA AND NICO GONZÁLEZ ON THE HUNT FOR RECORDS
One to watch out for AC Milan is definitely former great, Giacomo Bonaventura, who played 155 games in Serie A for the Rossoneri, scoring 30 goals in total. The Fiorentina captain is having a magical season, which has also recently seen him return to the national team. The number 10 has already scored five league goals, equalling his tally from 2022/23 (in 30 games): the last time Bonaventura did better was back in 2017/18, when he scored eight goals for AC Milan.

Attention must also be placed on a rediscovered Nicolás González, who got back on the scoresheet last time out against Bologna. The winger, second in terms of goals scored in 2023 by Argentinians in Europe's top-five leagues (13), behind only Lautaro Martínez (26), has already scored six league goals this campaign, just one shy of his personal best. Alfred Duncan has also made a big impact and, should he play, could celebrate 100 appearances in all competitions for the Viola and who has already scored two goals against AC Milan in Serie A: the Ghanaian boasts three assists this season so far, as many as in the previous four seasons and only fewer than Felipe Anderson and Marten de Roon (four each).

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