AC Milan vs Hellas Verona Starting Lineup 28 Dec 2025(Credit: en.legaseriea.it)
The Quick Hits
Nkunku's breakthrough: 2 goals in 180 seconds, finally!
Defensive masterclass: Verona got ZERO shots on target, seriously, zero!
The numbers loved us: 2.43 xG created vs 0.39 xG conceded (data source: Flashscore)
The full highlights tell the story, but let me tell you what made Saturday night so special. Christopher Nkunku finally arrived! He didn't just score once but twice in three minutes! After eight matches of critics calling him an "expensive flop" and saying we "should've kept Giroud," he shut everyone up in the most spectacular fashion possible.
But here is what really got me buzzing. It wasn't just the goals. It was how we won. The tactical discipline and the defensive solidity were off the charts. Verona didn't get a single shot on target! We controlled the match from start to finish. This was the kind of performance that makes you lean back and smile because we aren't just competing. We are ready to win the whole damn thing! So let me break down the last match of 2025 because if this is how we end the year, then 2026 is going to be ours!
Pre-Match: The Nkunku Elephant in the Room
Okay, let's talk about the thing everyone was thinking but nobody wanted to say out loud: I was genuinely worried about Christopher Nkunku starting. Not because he wasn't trying. God knows the man had been working his tail off since his summer move from Chelsea. You could see it every match—the intelligent movement, dropping deep to connect play, making runs that opened space for teammates, pressing defenders relentlessly. The effort was never in question.
AC Milan Nkunku Stats 2025-2026(Credit: sempremilan.com)
But the goals? Radio silence. Eight Serie A matches. Zero goals. Not one.
And listen, I get it. Strikers go through droughts. It happens. But when you're the expensive summer signing, when you've got a reputation to uphold, when every match day comes and goes without a goal—the pressure builds.
Twitter was absolutely savage. "Another expensive mistake." "Should've kept Giroud." "Chelsea knew something we didn't." The kind of takes that make you want to throw your phone across the room.
The numbers told a painful story: 8 matches, 0 goals, mounting pressure.
But here's the thing that stuck with me: Allegri never wavered. Every single press conference, same energy. "The goals will come. I have complete faith in Christopher. Trust me."
And he is right!
First Half: Allegri's Tactical Chess Game
The Formation - Both Teams Playing 3-5-2, But...
Here's where it gets interesting. Both Milan and Verona lined up in 3-5-2 formations. Same shape on paper. But watch what Allegri did differently.
Our Setup:
- Back 3: Tomori, De Winter, Pavlović
- Wing-backs: Saelemaekers (right), Bartesaghi (left)
- Midfield: Loftus-Cheek, Modrić, Rabiot
- Front 2: Pulisic, Nkunku
Now here's the clever bit: our wing-backs didn't play symmetrically. Davide Bartesaghi stayed wide on the left, hugging the touchline to stretch Verona's defense horizontally. But Alexis Saelemaekers on the right? He didn't play as a traditional winger. He tucked inside, operating almost as a fourth midfielder in the central channels.
Why This Matters: By inverting Saelemaekers, we overloaded the midfield. Verona's left-sided defenders didn't know whether to track him inside (leaving the flank open) or stay wide (leaving him free in the middle).
Player Average Position AC Milan vs Hellas Verona(Credit: en.legaseriea.it)
"Proof: The Serie A average position map above clearly shows Bartesaghi (#33) playing wide on the touchline, while Saelemaekers (#56) is positioned significantly more centrally, occupying the half-space."
THE MODRIĆ MASTERCLASS: Dropping Deep Like a Midfielder Playing 4D Chess
Okay, this is where I genuinely geeked out, he's still doing things that make me rewind the footage and question everything I know about age curves in football.
Picture this: Milan's three center-backs have the ball. Verona's sitting in their compact mid-block, waiting. Then Modrić just... drops between our center-backs. Like he's suddenly transformed into a fourth defender.
Modric Drops between our center-backs(Credit: Serie A Official YouTube Account)
Why This Works (The Tactical Dilemma)
When Modrić drops deep into the defensive line, he forces Verona's midfielder (Bernede) into a "Pick Your Poison" scenario:
Option 1: The Trap If Bernede follows Modrić deep, he vacates the center of the pitch.
- Result: A massive gap opens up behind him, allowing Rabiot or Loftus-Cheek to receive the ball on the half-turn with momentum to drive at the defense.
Option 2: The Bypass If Bernede stays put to protect the space, he leaves Modrić completely unmarked.
- Result: Modrić receives the ball with zero pressure, allowing him to lift his head and execute his trademark progressive passes to the wing-backs.
The Verdict: We executed this specific pattern 11 times in the first half. Nine of those sequences (82% success rate) resulted in Milan bypassing Verona's first line of pressure and pushing them back into their own defensive third.
Second Half: The Nkunku Show
48' - The Penalty That Changed Everything
Three minutes into the second half, I'm still riding high from Pulisic's goal. Then this happens.
Nkunku gets the ball about 25 yards out. He's not looking to pass, his body shape is screaming "I'm attacking." He drives at Verona's defense. Into the box. Nelsson, their center-back, panics and fouls him.
Nkunku AC Milan Verona Penalty(Credit: acmilan.com)
Now, penalties are worth 0.79 xG (players score from the spot about 79% of the time). But this felt bigger than that. This was Nkunku's first Serie A goal after eight matches of frustration.
📊 Source: FBref Penalty Conversion Rates
He steps up. Cool as ice. Send the keeper the wrong way. 2-0.
51' - When Strikers Smell Blood (The Instinct Goal)
This is my favorite goal of the night because it shows striker's IQ.
Just three minutes after the penalty, Modrić gets the ball 24 yards out. He winds up and shoots. It's a powerful drive, but the keeper (Montipò) gets a hand to it.
Here's the key: Watch Nkunku. Before Modrić even shoots, Nkunku starts moving forward. He's anticipating the rebound.
The ball pops out. Nkunku is 0.6 seconds before any Verona defender. Tap-in. 3-0.
The Numbers:
- That rebound goal? 0.95 xG (from 6 yards, unmarked, you're scoring 95% of the time)
- But the reason he got there? Pure anticipation
Source: FotMob Shot Map & xG
Two goals in three minutes. His first two Serie A goals. The monkey is off his back. The confidence is back.
Nkunku AC Milan Verona Celebration(Credit: detiksport)
The Data That Tells the Full Story
Okay, let's talk numbers, but in a way that actually makes sense.
Expected Goals (xG) - Who Should've Won? Think of xG like this: based on where shots are taken from, how many goals should a team score?
Flashscore Match Stats AC Milan vs Hellas Verona Dec 2025(Credit: Flashscore)
- Milan: 2.43 xG (Actual: 3) (Clinical!)
- Verona: 0.39 xG (Actual: 0) (Toothless)
Translation: We didn't just win; we battered them. We created enough high-quality chances to score nearly three goals, while Verona created... well, basically nothing.
This is the stat that proves it wasn't just "lucky counters." We kept the ball better than they did (85% accuracy) and we did it while taking risks to move forward. usually, high accuracy means boring, safe passing. Not today.
- Progressive Passes: Milan completed 47 forward-breaking passes compared to Verona's 28.
- Dominance: We held the ball, we used it better, and we moved it faster.
Defensive Dominance: The Big Zero Here is the stat that blew my mind:
- Verona's Shots on Target: 0
Not "we saved them all." Not "they hit the post." They literally didn't force Mike Maignan to make a single save.
How? Allegri's defensive setup was a clinic. When Verona had the ball:
- Our wing-backs dropped back within 2 seconds (I timed it on the replay).
- We formed a compact 5-3-2 block instantly.
- We pressed strategically only in the right moments.
The Pressing Number (PPDA):
- Milan: 8.2 passes allowed per defensive action
- Verona: 11.6 passes allowed
Lower number = more aggressive. We pressed 41% harder than they did. Source: Lega Serie A Official Stats
AC Milan vs Hellas Verona Match Report(Credit: en.legaseriea.it)
Why This Win Matters More Than You Think
Alright, let's zoom out. After this 3-0 victory, we are sitting TOP OF SERIE A with 35 points from 16 matches.
But here is why I am genuinely confident this is our year. It’s not just the table; it’s the trendlines.
1. Defensive Stability is Championship-Level Defenses win titles, and ours has turned into a fortress. Over our last 8 matches, the numbers are frightening (for everyone else):
- Average xGA (Expected Goals Against): 0.83 per match
- Clean Sheets: 5 out of 8 (62.5%)
- Average Shots on Target Conceded: 2.1 per match
Translation: We don't give up big chances anymore. We suffocate teams until they break. Source: StatsBomb Defensive Analytics
AC Milan Strating Lineup vs Hellas Verona Giornata 16
2. Nkunku's Breakthrough Changes Everything Before Saturday, the pressure was mounting: 0 Serie A goals. After Saturday, the beast is awake: 2 goals, confidence restored.
Strikers are momentum players. The first goal is always the hardest. Now that the dam has broken, watch out. His underlying numbers were always there, he is averaging 4.2 shots per 90 minutes (Top 5 in Serie A). Now those shots are finally hitting the net. Source: FotMob Player Analytics
3. Allegri Knows How to Win the Sprint We have been here before with Max. Historical data on Allegri's title-winning seasons shows a clear pattern in the "Run-In" (Final 12 Matches):
- Allegri’s PPG: 2.1 Points Per Game
- Competitors' Average: 1.8 PPG
That is an 18% advantage when the pressure is highest. The man doesn't panic. He doesn't play "champagne football" when it's not needed. He grinds results. And right now, he has this Milan machine grinding perfectly. Source: Serie A Historical Data
2026 is going to be ours.
Forza Milan. 🔴⚫
What Stood Out to You?
"I built the tactical case for Allegri's 3-5-2, but football is played on grass, not spreadsheets. Did you see something I didn't? Was there a moment that changed the match? Drop your thoughts below."
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