At 1:30 a.m. Beijing time on January 7, the 20th round of Serie A will usher in a focus battle, AC Milan hosts Roma. As the first game of 2022, both Pioli and Mourinho want to get the start, especially Mourinho is very important to this 3-pointer. In this campaign, both sides not only have to win, but also hope to rewrite the club's history and set a new record. In terms of value, Milan is 490 million euros and Rome is 410 million euros, and the total value of both sides is 900 million.
Milan are unbeaten in the first 12 rounds of Serie A this season, but have lost three of their seven games since then, and are currently four points behind city rivals Inter. In fact, Milan's decline in performance was entirely due to injuries, but Pioli was able to bring back Ibrahimovic, Leo and Rebić in time. Roma's record in the final stages of 2021 is good, but 1-1 Samp may be the turning point, as Mourinho's side has won one of the few consecutive wins. The two sides have met in the last 12 meetings, with Milan and Roma winning five games each, but Roma have been double-scored by Milan in the last two games, and the score is 2-1.
Match data
AC Milan have lost 2 of their last 3 home games, which is the same as the previous 13 home losses (7 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses).
Milan have won Roma twice in a row and have never beaten the Red Wolves three times in a row since legendary manager Capello in 1996. This time, Pioli is expected to rewrite history and set a 26-year record.
Roma scored 94 away goals against Milan in Serie A, second only to Lazio (95 goals).
Despite Milan's strength, Roma have beaten the Rossoneri 19 times away from home. This is Roma's fourth-best away record against a particular team in Serie A, after Lazio (25 wins), Udinese and Bologna (21).
Key players
Ibrahimovic scored 11 goals against Roma in Serie A, including the most against Roma who scored more than 2 goals. In the first leg of the meeting, Ibrahimovic scored a goal and made a penalty, he is the undisputed "Roma nemesis".
Zaniolo is the ace in the hands of Mourinho, who has pried open the door of 9 teams in Serie A, but has only scored 2+ goals in more than 2 games, against Fiorentina and Milan. However, this will be Zagnolo's first time since San Siro against AC Milan.
Without a doubt, this is the most important match in this round of Serie A, and it is likely to be related to the final outcome of Serie A. Milan are currently only four points behind Inter, and the Rossoneri have every chance to come back. For Mourinho, this is also a key battle on the road to 4, once they get 3 points, Roma will have a greater probability of qualifying for the Champions League.
With Juve, Fiorentina and Lazio not far behind Roma, Mourinho must take the game seriously. Strictly speaking, it was a game Mourinho couldn't afford to lose.