Zlatan Ibrahimovic Photo: VCG

Going into this weekend, only two teams in Europe's top five leagues have 100 percent records. The names of those teams might come as a shock.

One is AC Milan and the other is Aston Villa. 

Last year, Villa were lucky to stay up in the English Premier League while Milan struggled in Serie A.

It has been many years since either played like this. Villa were the European Cup winners in 1982, a high point for the club; AC Milan have won that competition five times, most recently in its rebranded UEFA Champions League days in 2007.

Glorious past

Glory days for both sides have been at a minimum since.

The Villains won the English League Cup in 1996, beating Manchester United in the final at Wembley, but their sole appearance in any final was the FA Cup loss to Arsenal in 2015.

As for the Rossoneri, they may be one of European football's most storied sides but reputation counts for little they have learned in recent seasons.

For a club of their import, one Scudetto win since last being champions of Europe is a poor return. That came in the 2010-11 season and great rivals Juventus have won in every season since - something that has seen the Old Lady double their title tally and cement themselves as Italy's most successful side.

They have impressed under Stefano Pioli this season, as they did at the end of last season when it finally finished after Italy's coronavirus lockdown.

Former AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi has been impressed by their championship form so far this season - and if there is one man that would know if the shoe fits then it is the former shoe salesman.

He told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport of his thoughts after they defeated city rivals Inter Milan last weekend in the Derby della Madonnina.

"Pioli's Milan deservedly won and proved to be more of a team than Inter," Sacchi said. 

"The Rossoneri took advantage of the 'phenomenon' Ibrahimovic who won all the aerial duels and also scored two goals."

The Swede bagged an early brace, which proved enough despite a goal from Inter scoring phenomenon Romelu Lukaku, who has been in imperious form since signing for Antonio Conte's side from Manchester United.

Undefeated run

Pioli has matched Sacchi in going 20 games without defeat as AC Milan boss, something the pair share with Fabio Capello, Nereo Rocco, Lajos Czeizler and Nils Liedholm. 

Sacchi found time to pour praise on Italy legend Conte, who won the English Premier League as a manager with Chelsea before signing on at the San Siro to help restore Inter to their own former glories.

"Antonio is a great coach and will know how to shape and make his team harmonious. Football is a team sport with individual moments and not the other way around. The individual can win a game but it is the team that will win the title," he said. 

Pioli was as fulsome in his praise for a team that have not finished inside the top four since 2013.

"The team spirit is incredible, we have won every single match but none of them were easy," the AC Milan boss said. 

"This means we have to improve tactically and technically, because we won't always be able to rely on character. 

"If you want to compete for the Scudetto then you need to raise the level of the team, and that takes a long time, this club is laying the foundations and building for the future on top of them."

Milan are on their best start to a season since 1995, which ended with them being crowned the champions of Italy. 

The Scudetto going to the red and black half of the San Siro this season would be a shock, but as much as a shock that an AC Milan title would be, it would be nothing compared to England if Aston Villa somehow defied the odds.

Dare to dream



Leicester City have proved that clubs can dare to dream, but even they did not smash the champions 7-2 on their procession to the 2016 English Premier League title.

That, though, is exactly what Villa did when they met Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool earlier this month, a result that remains almost impossible to comprehend.

"To come through those with maximum points certainly exceeds expectations," Villa boss Dean Smith said last week after a late goal from on-loan Ross Barkley secured a win over Leicester City.

"Sheffield United, Fulham and ourselves would have looked at those opening two games and seen an opportunity to pick up points," Smith said. "We managed to win both of them and then you go into Liverpool and Leicester, who are both top-five teams." 

The 7-2 win over Liverpool beggared belief but still, he is not getting carried away. He did allow himself some source of pride after that shock, describing it as a "great marker to see how far we have moved on," but still the lifelong Villa fan's feet were on the ground after the win over the Foxes.

"Our feet are firmly on the ground because, if you're off it at any stage in the league, you can get a bloody nose very quickly.

Manager Smith thinks there is more to come.

"We've got a really good balance within the team," the boss said. "I spoke about after lockdown getting players fitter. There's a fitness level within the team and we've got more legs in there.

"It's about having that balance. We were better defensively but lacked a bit going forward but we've managed to find that balance now."

Nothing lasts forever. But for the time being, AC Milan and Aston Villa are leading the way among the European elites.
Newspaper headline: The A-Teams