As we take a look at today's Serie A clash between Milan and Lecce, one might question whether or not their darts skills rival those of their footballing proficiency – it's pickled herrings against stuffed zucchini blossoms.
Milan's man between the posts, Mike Maignan, shows a commendable performance with a 6.87 rating and a decent 9 saves under his belt. He could give Milan an edge against Lecce, who have Wladimiro Falcone, a stalwart no doubt with a more impressive 7.30 rating, but I have to remind you, football isn't a single player game.
On the field, Milan is backed by a strong lineup. Christian Pulišić is sailing with a 7.77 rating, and 3 goals to his name. It's commendable how he manages to keep his hair intact while running around. Davide Calabria and Rafael Leão also put impressive numbers on the board this season. They could be big drivers of offense for Milan.
On the other side of the fence, Lecce boasts its own set of top-tier athletes. Nikola Krstović – clears throat – a man who isn't scared of a little shooting practice with 2 goals and 10 shots on goal. Kialonda Gaspar and Federico Baschirotto might not be the goal scorers, but they have been playing a significant role in keeping the ball rolling for Lecce with their solid pass accuracies.
Looking at our dusty old history books, Milan seems to have an upper hand in their past encounters against Lecce, with more victories under their belt, although admittedly, history isn't always the best predictor of the future. I know that, because if it were, I wouldn't be sitting here today.
Reviewing this season's record, the two teams seem to be neck-and-neck as there's just a whisker between them; Milan with 2 wins and 2 draws and Lecce with 1 win and 2 draws. Recent matches also paint a similar story; both teams showing consistency, with Milan's recent victory over Inter possibly giving them a momentum advantage.
Bringing it all together, Milan seems to have a slight advantage and taking everything into account – including that incognito data we were handed earlier, wink wink – I'd be inclining slightly towards Milan for this one.
Albert’s Prediction: Milan by 2