Matchday 29 Serie A TIM 2020-21 3 April 2021 03/04/2021 12:30 - GIUSEPPE MEAZZA MILAN Vs SAMPDORIA AC Milan have won four of their last six Serie A TIM matches against Sampdoria (D1 L1), including the most recent one; the last time the Rossoneri won both league games against Sampdoria in a season was back in 2015/16. AC Milan have lost just one of their last seven home Serie A TIM matches against Sampdoria (W4 D2), drawing 0-0 in the most recent in January 2020 - a match in which Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his return to the Rossoneri. AC Milan haven’t won any of their last five home games in all competitions (D2 L3); the last time they went on a longer such run came in December 2013 under Massimiliano Allegri (six). AC Milan are the team with the largest negative difference between points picked up at home (22) and those gained away (37) in the Top-5 European leagues this season: -15. Sampdoria haven’t drawn any of their last 20 Serie A TIM matches against sides starting the day in the top two of the table (W5 L15); a 2-1 victory against Inter in the most recent such fixture back in January. AC Milan have had more Direct Attacks than any other side in Serie A TIM this season (65). AC Milan (42%) and Sampdoria (36%) have conceded the highest percentage of free kick goals in Serie A TIM this season. AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 15+ goals in six different Serie A TIM campaigns - among foreign players, only Gunnar Nordahl (eight), Kurt Roland Hamrin and Gabriel Batistuta (seven each) have reached this milestone in more different Serie A TIM campaigns. Post lockdown, AC Milan remain unbeaten in the 14 games in which Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored in Serie A TIM, winning 12 of these matches: 22 goals for the Swedish striker during this period. Antonio Candreva has been involved in 11 Serie A TIM goals this season (five goals and six assists), more than any other Sampdoria player. The Italian winger has netted three goals against AC Milan in the top-flight. 03/04/2021 15:00 - GEWISS STADIUM ATALANTA Vs UDINESE Atalanta have won five of their last six matches against Udinese in Serie A TIM (D1), scoring 18 goals during this period (3 on avergage per game). Atalanta's 7-1 win against Udinese last season (October 2019) was their joint second biggest margin of victory in Serie A TIM game after a 7-0 win against Torino in January 2020. Atalanta have scored the joint-most goals in Serie A TIM this season (65, level with Inter); only in 2019/20 have they netted more in Serie A TIM at this stage of the season (80 goals in that case after 28 games). In Udinese's last 14 league games: four wins, six draws and four defeats for the Friulians. Udinese have drawn their last three away league games; the last time they recorded four away draws consecutively in Serie A TIM was back in May 1983. Atalanta’s high press has led to 40 shots from high turnovers this season, the highest tally in Serie A TIM, while no side has fewer than Udinese (16). Atalanta’s Luis Muriel has scored seven goals against Udinese in Serie A TIM (a joint-record for him in the competition, level with AS Roma) - including his only hat-trick in the Italian top-flight, in October 2019 against the Friulians. Atalanta’s Luis Muriel (16 goals and 7 assists) is one of only two non-European players to have been involved in 23+ goals this season across the top-5 European leagues, alongside Lionel Messi (31). Atalanta’s Duván Zapata (63 matches and 18 goals in Serie A TIM) and Luis Muriel (57 games and 15 goals in the top flight) used to play for Udinese, both scoring 10+ goals for the first time in a single Serie A TIM season with them: Zapata in 2016/17 and Muriel in 2012/13. Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul has been involved in the most unique open play sequences in Serie A TIM this season (1363) while he has also completed the most dribbles (92) in the competition. 03/04/2021 15:00 - CIRO VIGORITO BENEVENTO Vs PARMA The only previous meeting between Benevento and Parma ended 0-0 (in Serie A TIM, Serie B and Coppa Italia), in the reverse fixture this season. After a streak of 11 matches without a win in the top-flight (D5 L6), Benevento beat Juventus last time out - only twice have they recorded back-to-back wins in the competition: in December 2020 and in January 2018. Parma have conceded goals in each of their last 20 away league matches, only in 2010 (24) and in 2006 (22) have they had a longer such run on the road in Serie A TIM. Parma have drawn three of their four matches in Serie A TIM this season against newly promoted sides (L1); in their Serie A TIM history, they have never finished a season without a single win against such opposition. Parma have picked up the fewest points in Serie A TIM this season against sides starting the matchday in the bottom half of the table: 10 points from 14 matches (W1 D7 L6). This game will see the team with the most different Italian scorers (Benevento, nine) meet the team with the lowest number of Italian scorers in Serie A TIM this eason (Parma, just one: Graziano Pellè). Benevento have scored 50% (14/28) of their goals from set-piece situations this season, the highest percentage in the division. In 2021, Parma have dropped the most points from winning position (14) across the top-5 European leagues. Gianluca Caprari - five goals and four assists in the current league season - could become the first Benevento player to be involved in 10+ goals in a single Serie A TIM campaign. His next game will be Luigi Sepe's 100th appearance with Parma in Serie A TIM. Since he joined the Emilian club in 2018/19, he has made the most saves in the Italian top-flight (365). 03/04/2021 15:00 - SARDEGNA ARENA CAGLIARI Vs HELLAS VERONA Verona have won seven of their last 11 matches against Cagliari in Serie A TIM (D2 L2), two more than in the previous 20 against the Sardinians in the competition (D7 L8). Cagliari and Verona could draw both matches in a single Serie A TIM campaign for the second time, previously doing so in 1972/73. For the third time in their Serie A TIM history, Cagliari have lost 16 of their first 28 league matches in a season (also in 2007/08 and 1975/76) - the Sardinians could lose 17 of their first 29 matches in a Serie A TIM campaign for the first time. Verona have lost their last three league games. The last time they registered more consecutive defeats in Serie A TIM was back in May 2018 - seven in that case under Fabio Pecchia. Verona have lost four of their last six away Serie A TIM games (W1 D1), having gone unbeaten in each of their seven previous matches on the road (W3 D4). Verona have won eight of their last 10 Serie A TIM games against sides starting the matchday in the bottom three positions of the table (L2). Only Juventus (eight) have conceded fewer goals than Verona (nine) in the last 30 minutes of Serie A TIM matches this season. Verona are the opponent against which Cagliari’s João Pedro has played the most minutes in Serie A TIM (296) without ever scoring.. Only Leeds’ Illan Meslier and West Bromwich's Sam Johnstone (both 115) have made more saves than Cagliari's Alessio Cragno (111) in the top-5 European leagues this season. Cagliari are Nikola Kalinic’s favourite opponent in Serie A TIM (six goals in six matches), netting his second and most recent hat-trick in the competition, in October 2016 with Fiorentina in Sardinia. 03/04/2021 15:00 - LUIGI FERRARIS GENOA Vs FIORENTINA Since 2013/14 season, the fixtures between Genoa and Fiorentina have seen the most draws in Serie A TIM (10/15 matches), including the most recent two - two Ligurian victories and three for the Viola. After last season's win 2-1, Genoa could win two home Serie A TIM games in a row against Fiorentina for the first time since 1992. Genoa haven’t lost any of their last eight home Serie A TIM games (W3 D5), last going longer without a home top-flight defeat in November 2011 (nine, the first four under Ballardini and the following five under Malesani). Despite scoring (30) four goals fewer than lasr season (34), Genoa have picked up five points more than they gained after MD28 in Serie A TIM last season (31 v 26). With 29 points from 28 Serie A TIM games this season, Fiorentina have their second worst points return at this stage of a top-flight campaign in the three points for a win era, after 2001/02 (22 points – went on to be relegated that season). Genoa have scored the fewest headed goals in Serie A TIM this season (two), while Fiorentina have conceded nine headed goals this term with only Parma (13) and Crotone (11) conceding more. Giuseppe Iachini has picked up 1.43 points per game as Fiorentina manager in Serie A TIM, his best return with a club in the competition.