Milan's early goal, and chances well above their away norm

Christian Pulisic's goal inside six minutes gave AC Milan the lead at Udinese, and their chances were better than their usual away output.

Christian Pulisic put AC Milan ahead inside six minutes, with Luka Modrić providing the assist, and that early goal shaped the rest of the evening at the Bluenergy Stadium. Udinese spent most of the match trailing, which matters when reading their numbers. Omari Hutchinson added a second after 65 minutes, and that was the last goal of the night.

Udinese had 40% of the ball, well short of the 51.1% they usually keep at home. Their 11 shots were fewer than the 13.3 they average in front of their own supporters, and only three came from inside the box. Expected goals, a measure of how good a chance was, came to 0.45 for the home side, against a usual 0.94. Those are not the figures of a side creating much.

Milan's headline figures look close to ordinary. Their 60% of the ball is near the 58% they usually have away, and their two goals matched their away average. Underneath, the attack was far busier than usual. They took 18 shots, where they average 12.1 on the road, and 15 of them came inside the box. Their expected goals reached 3.12, compared with the 1.72 they usually create away from home.

So Milan scored what they usually score, but the chances they made were considerably better than their normal return. Pulisic had four shots, two of them on target, and his rating of 8.2 reflects a player who was at the centre of most of what they threatened. Hutchinson's strike came from a chance that the numbers suggest was worth more than the goal alone reveals.

Udinese's defensive numbers were closer to the norm. They conceded two, under their home average of 2.3, so the goals they let in were fewer than usual. Yet Milan's chances came to more than the 2.17 that Udinese usually concede at home, so the scoreline flatters the home side a little. Their goalkeeper did plenty of the work to keep the margin where it was.

The match stayed clean, with Gonçalo Ramos and Jesper Karlstrom booked before half-time and Luka Modrić cautioned at the end. Nobody was sent off, so the 11 men who started each side finished the game in the same shape they began it, apart from the substitutions that came in the second half.

The win takes Milan to 15 points from seven away games, with four wins, three draws and no defeats, and leaves them fifth in the table. Udinese, with one win and four points from seven at home, sit 16th.

Player of the matchC. Pulišić1 goal8.2

O. Hutchinson1 goal8.2

S. Pavlović1 chance created7.9

M. Maignan5 saves7.8