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AC Milan remain untouchable: The key factors for the Serie A leaders

marca.com, 22 December 2020, 16:35

A t the risk of jinxing it, this AC Milan team look very good, with nine wins and four draws from 13 Serie A games which puts them top of the table.

Stefano Pioli 's team have been unmovable from the top since the second week of the season and remained so once again after a 2-1 win over Sassuolo on Sunday.

Let's take a look at the key factors for this team which could be capable of wresting the title away from Juventus at last.

A young and hungry squad

When you think about Milan it is impossible not to think about the legendary team of the 2000s, full of veterans, and the last Milan side to win Serie A - in 2010-11 - was also replete with experienced players, such as Christian Abbiati, Gianluca Zambrotta, Thiago Silva, Mark van Bommel, Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf and Robinho.

This Milan, though, of 2020/21 is a very different beast and their average age against Sassuolo was just 22.9.

A list of young stars, such as Pierre Kalulu, Rafael Leao, Brahim Diaz, Alexis Saelemaekers, Sandro Tonali, Theo Hernandez, Diogo Dalot and Gianluigi Donnarumma, show the hunger of this Milan team, who are no longer considered a retirement home.

Leading by example

This young squad has been boosted by a player with experience aplenty, Zlatan Ibrahimovic who arrived in last season's January transfer window.

The 39-year-old is a big figure in the dressing room and leads by example, both off the pitch and on it, where he has scored 10 goals in six league games this season.

Pioli's nine lives

Rumours were rife last season that Stefano Pioli would be replaced as head coach by former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick, but the Italian hung on to his position thanks to an Ibrahimovic double which secured Europa League qualification on the final day of the season.

A spectacular 2020

It was a good thing Milan stuck with Pioli, as since the start of the calendar year they have only lost three games in all competitions, and just one since football returned after the break due to COVID-19.

Milan, alone with Juve in Serie A, remain unbeaten this season - can they keep it going and end Juventus' reign of dominance?

Read full version: https://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2020/12/22/5fe21e7422601dc0428b45a9.html
  • Juventus
  • Stefan Silva

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