The upcoming Derby della Madonnina will see a key duel between two talismanic strikers – Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Milan’s Olivier Giroud, writes Apollo Heyes.
The Rossoneri will take on the Nerazzurri on September 16 at 17.00 UK time in the first Milan derby of the season, one that could prove key in the early stages of the title race.
Milan were concerned that Giroud could be ruled out of action after withdrawing from the France squad with an ankle injury, but he returned to squad training on Thursday and is now set to start in the derby.
Lautaro featured in both of Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers in this international break but only played five minutes in the second match against Bolivia, allowing him to rest a little ahead of the decisive match in San Siro.
Both players have started the season in fine form. Lautaro has netted five in Inter’s three outings, whilst Giroud has scored four and provided one assist in the Milan’s first three games, highlighting their importance for their respective teams.
Lautaro and Giroud are equally important and will lead the frontlines in the derby, but the underlying numbers suggest that the former will have a slight advantage over the latter.
Last season, the Argentine striker averaged 4.37 shots per 90 and directly contributed to 0.94 goals per 90, whilst the Frenchman only averaged 3.24 shots and 0.76 direct goal contributions, immediately highlighting Giroud’s lower attacking threat.
Both attempted a similar amount of passes per 90 minutes, 23.8 per 90 for Lautaro and 23.5 for Giroud, but the former was more successful with 17.6 completions per 90 to Giroud’s 14.7, a sign of the Argentine’s increased ability to integrate his teammates.
The Inter man also played a greater role in the build-up with 2.9 progressive passes per 90, far higher than the Milan forward’s 1.51, but this is due to their respective roles in attacking moves.
Giroud receives more progressive passes per 90 than Lautaro – 6.39 to 6.01 – and takes more touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 – 6.64 to 5.98, underlining how he sits closer to the opposition goal, rather than dropping deep in build-up.
The Frenchman was also a greater threat in the air, winning 4.24 aerial duels to 90 compared to the Argentine’s 1.40.
Lautaro drew significantly more fouls than his Milan counterpart, however, averaging 2.2 per 90 to Giroud’s 1.01, a sign of the Inter striker’s tricky dribbling and comfort in possession.
In summary, the stats suggest that Lautaro will play a more important role for Inter than Giroud will with Milan, with the Argentine playing a larger role in build-up as well as a being a greater threat in front of goal.
Giroud will sit further up the pitch and his comparative aerial dominance will allow the Rossoneri to play a more direct style, giving them more options should they struggle to get through the Nerazzurri midfield.
Words: @ApolloHeyes