AC Milan made it three consecutive wins in all competitions after a rather comfortable display against Empoli this afternoon, prevailing 3-0. Several players did well and below are the player ratings for the Rossoneri.
If you haven’t already, make sure to check out how we decide the player ratings. From the scale to what affects the rating, we have compiled everything there.
Starting XI
Maignan (6): He didn’t have that much to do this afternoon, making a few standard saves, and when Empoli did create dangerous chances they were blocked.
Calabria (6.5): He started the game really well, above all lively in the attacking phase, and always combined well with Pulisic. He did get booked after a poor foul, but overall it was a good game for the captain.
Kjaer (6.5): Strong and assertive in his defending, also showing off his long-ball capabilities with a couple of really nice passes. The partnership with Theo continues to go from strength to strength, and the Dane is clearly regaining his physical condition as well.
Hernandez (7.5): A great display from the Frenchman in both phases of the game. He made more than one crucial block inside the box and often won the ball back as well. In attack, he troubled Empoli on a couple of occasions with his trademark runs.
Florenzi (6): A pretty average display from the veteran until the 35th minute, when he was forced to leave the pitch with an injury. It doesn’t appear to be anything serious, but not ideal nevertheless.
Rejnders (7): He’s so incredibly neat and tidy on the ball, really using his technique and vision to always stay in possession. He was heavily involved in the first goal, keeping hold of the ball and then wasting no time to put Leao into play. He continued to do well after that.
Adli (6): In the first half, he was a bit lazy on the ball and had too many misplaced passes. He improved in the second half, without a doubt, but in the end it was nothing more than a standard performance. He can do more, as we saw against Cagliari.
Pulisic (7): He was headed for a lower rating but towards the end of the game, he had a couple of good defensive contributions and then grabbed that wonderful assist for Chaka Traore. He did really well to get to the ball in the first place, and then did everything right from there.
Loftus-Cheek (7.5 – MOTM): The Englishman made the most of his advanced role today, scoring the opener with a calm finish after making his way into the box. He was very strong in the duels, as you would expect, and then helped Milan win the penalty with an acrobatic attempt. In short, he was decisive for the Rossoneri today.
Leao (7): Finally, the winger is starting to find his ‘old form’ again. He was a constant threat to the Empoli defence today and really showcased his abilities on the first goal. He had a couple of more good crosses, including a Pulisic header which was saved, and he really seemed to enjoy himself. That is exactly what Milan need from him.
Giroud (6.5): This is a tough one. Don’t get us wrong, that penalty was lovely and he deserves praise for finding the back of the net yet again. However, he was simply too slow in the box today, failing to get on the end of many promising crosses. And ultimately, scoring a penalty is not all that impressive.
Substitutes
Jimenez (6): He showed glimpses of what he’s capable of in the attacking phase but he was too rash on the other half of the pitch. He did have some good interceptions/clearances, though, so overall it was decent.
Bartesaghi (6): The youngster did what was needed, also combining quite nicely with Hernandez on the left flank. Nothing out of the ordinary, though.
Musah (6): The American looked very promising on the ball and it would have been nice to see him on the pitch for longer. Perhaps he will get the chance from start against Atalanta on Wednesday.
Chaka Traore (7): Another goal for the 19-year-old, this time with an even better finish after a nice layoff from Pulisic. The composure to just angle the body and then pick out the bottom right corner should not be understated.
Gabbia (6): Milan had good control of the game and he wasn’t really forced to any difficult actions, but did stand in the way of an Empoli attacker who would have been through on goal otherwise.
The manager
Pioli (7): It must be said that the tactics worked today, evidently, and the manager also got just what he wanted from Loftus-Cheek. He stated during his presser that the Englishman needed to get into the box more, and this resulted in a goal. Not seeing Jovic was a bit disappointing, but Leao probably needed the rest and the Serbian might start against Atalanta.
