Milan produced just 0.11 expected goals in their draw against Juventus, a figure lower than any single match from the entire previous season, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
The number stands in stark contrast to Ruben Amorim's opening two fixtures. Against Torino and Venezia, Milan generated 2.15 and 2.21 xG respectively, scoring four goals across those matches. The Turin derby offered a completely different picture, with Juventus finishing the game on 1.59 xG to Milan's 0.11.
Gazzetta describe the drop as a "major red flag," arguing that a side coached by Amorim, who has promised dominant, attacking football, should never fall below 1 xG. The coach himself acknowledged after the match that what unfolded was not his intended game plan, though he stopped short of sounding any alarm.
Context softens the reading somewhat. Juventus are a far sterner test than either Torino or Venezia, and taking a point away at the Allianz Stadium is a result most would have accepted beforehand. The absence of Christian Pulisic also factors in. Without him, Milan's attacking output naturally drops, and Amorim has yet to find a way to compensate for what the American provides in the final third.
Two games of over 2 xG followed by one at 0.11 does not make a trend, but it does pose a question Amorim will need to answer as the fixtures grow tougher: whether his side can impose their style on opponents who sit higher up the league, or whether results like the Juventus draw will require a pragmatic adjustment he would rather not make. The next few weeks should start to show which way this team is heading.