Coming off the back of a 4-2 win in the Europa League, Milan had to focus their attention on Serie A, where the aim is to finish second and steal the spot from Juventus in the process.
Pioli fielded a strong starting eleven with a bit of rotation compared to the mid-week fixture, given he made six changes. Despite the home advantage and their opponent sitting 16th in the league, Milan didn’t really seem so dominant in the opening minutes, although it’s fair to say they controlled the game.
It was in the 40th minute when Noah Okafor found Christian Pulisic in the box, and the American managed to put the ball in the back of the net and give his team the lead.
The second half was similar to the first: Milan controlled the game well and were the side creating the more dangerous chances, while Mike Maignan had little to at the other end. Here are five observations from the game…
1. The right kind of return
Fikayo Tomori returned to the starting XI, and what better way to come back than with a clean sheet. Milan were able to play with a higher line with him on the pitch, as he showed his pace on a couple of occasions to recover the ball.
With the Rossoneri struggling to control games this season and conceding lots of sloppy goals, it’s good to see that Tomori is back with such a positive performance.
Although he’s still not fully fit, he will most likely play a crucial role in Milan’s attempt to secure the second spot in Italy and reach the latter stages of the Europa League.
2. Right-back with a bang
Davide Calabria hasn’t really played that much lately, with Alessandro Florenzi getting quite a bit of playing time partly because his team-mate was out with an injury, which allowed him to start a few games in a row.
Against Empoli, however, the captain started the game and it is fair to say he had a really solid performance. He did everything right at the back and was constantly involved in the attack as well.
This opened up a lot of space for Pulisic, who also had a great game (more to come on him). Overall, it was a really solid performance by the captain, who lead the way in both phases.
3. Double digits
We’ve mentioned Pulisic quite a bit in recent weeks in a more negative light as he has struggled as of late following a great start to the season. However, the praise can now follow as he got his 10th goal of the season.
Throughout his struggles, he did find a way to grab a goal or assist to help his team win crucial points. Against Empoli, it wasn’t just the goal that set him apart though, it was his overall performance.
He also won the MOTM in our post-game ratings and that is because the American was all over the place as he was involved in the majority of the dangerous attacks Milan had on the day, carrying the attack in Rafael Leao’s absence.
Calabria’s high work rates down the flank also helped Pulisic, who exploited the extra space and played potentially his strongest game since the turn of the year.
4. Little and large
Ismael Bennacer and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have had mixed performances as of late, but the duo were both at a much higher level against Empoli.
The Algerian did start the game rather slowly, with some possession errors, but it is important to remember that he is still in the process of returning to his best after a very serious injury. He grew as the game progressed, looking his dynamic self on the ball and having a big hand in the opener.
Loftus-Cheek was also at the race was arguably the second-best player after Pulisic. The Englishman didn’t manage to get a goal this time out but was involved in plenty of dangerous attacks as he exploited the space between Empoli’s defensive and midfield lines very effectively.
The ex-Chelsea used his strength really well and was good in 1v1 situations to allow himself space to make a shot, and it is fair to say he was unlucky to not put the ball in the back of the net.
5. Mixed bag from the summer signings
Lastly, there are quite a few players we still need to discuss, starting with Okafor. This time, he took his chance well and got the assist on the goal.
Perhaps one could argue he should’ve done better in certain situations where he got to the byline or cut in for a shot, but in the end he was a game changer.
Luka Jovic on the other hand, was pretty invisible throughout the game and he failed to have any impact on the proceedings as he continues to struggle when given the chance to start the game.
Finally, Samuel Chukwueze came off the bench and had an unusually positive performance, looking very promising at times with his pace and dribbling which allowed him to beat his man and take a shot.
However, he needs to build on this, as there is still a long way to go before his first season can be considered salvaged.
