Following the 4-1 dismantling of Cagliari in the Coppa Italia in midweek, AC Milan travel to Tuscany to face Empoli, with the hope of victory in their first Serie A game of 2024.
Having got 2024 off to a great start with an entry into the quarter-final of the Coppa Italia, Stefano Pioli will be instructing his players to follow suit in Serie A and start the year as they mean to go on.
In his pre-match press conference, Pioli acknowledged that this was a big week for the club, and stressed that the pivotal thing for Sunday’s performance was to win, stating that it would only come if his side culminated everything else well.
Game date: Sunday, January 7
Kick-off time: 12:30 (CET)
Venue: Stadio Carlo Castellani
Referee: Federico La Penna (VAR: Irrati)
Team news
The clash against Cagliari offered Stefano Pioli a chance to rotate his starting side, offering several of his regulars a chance to rest whilst offering some younger talents an opportunity to impress against a fellow Serie A squad.
The result is a really good starting point for the year for Milan, and everyone will be keen to show a similar performance against a struggling Empoli. Confidence has been brewing in the past month for the side, even with the outside noise, and this is clear as they have only lost once since the start of December.
For this fixture, the 58-year-old is set to revert to his preferred formation (4-3-3) from the 4-2-3-1 used in midweek. He is also set to recall several of his starters to the starting XI, which has a much more senior look.
Simon Kjaer and Alessandro Florenzi will play from the first minute, as will Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud. All were given a chance to rest in midweek and will want to impress on their returns. None more so than Giroud though, given Luka Jovic’s brilliant form as of late.
Pioli will be given the boost of two additions to his matchday squad. After returning from Villarreal earlier in the week, Matteo Gabbia is available for selection after training with the side. Additionally, Yunus Musah could feature after he participated in training with the squad this week.
Probable Milan XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Hernandez, Florenzi; Loftus-Cheek, Adli, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leao.
The opponents
There is no other way of putting this. Empoli’s season so far has been dire, having won just three of their 18 games. As such, it is no shock to see them in 19th place. The hosts are currently without a win in five games, which only will boost Milan fans’ spirits entering the game.
However, they can be a difficult side. Since October, they have beaten Fiorentina and Scudetto-holders Napoli so far this season and will be looking to add the Rossoneri to their list of upsets this season.
That said, though, they are also highly susceptible to a dismantling. At the start of the season, AS Roma put seven away, Bologna and Atalanta won by three goals to nil, and whilst they scored three against Sassuolo, they conceded four times.
The Azzurri spent less than €10million in the summer transfer window, with their marquee signings being Emmanuel Gyasi, who impressed at Spezia last season, and Sebastiano Luperto, who arrived from Napoli.
There was also an eye on youth with their recruitment, as they added Matteo Cancellieri, Filippo Rannocchia and Elia Caprile to their ranks. However, the arrival of most interest to Milan fans will be Daniel Maldini, who joined Empoli on loan – his time in Tuscany has been disappointing, though, with only six appearances so far.
Probable Empoli XI (4-3-1-2): Caprile; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Walukiewicz, Luperto; Marin, Grassi, Maleh; Baldanzi; Caputo, Cambiaghi.
Head to head
Milan and Empoli have faced off only 34 times in history, but, the Rossoneri’s record will fill fans with hope. The Azzurri have only won this fixture four times, compared to the Rossoneri’s 19 victories.
The Diavolo have not lost to the hosts since April 2017, when they beat Milan 2-1 at the San Siro. To find the last time Empoli beat the Rossoneri at home, you would have to go back to January 1986.
Last season, Pioli’s side won by three goals to one at the Stadio Carlo Castellani, with goals from Ante Rebic, Fode Ballo-Toure and Rafael Leao as the differencemakers in a dramatic injury-time affair. Indeed, most of us will remember that Ballo-Toure goal.
As a result, a repeat will be hoped for on Sunday, instead of a repeat of the second game from that season, which saw Empoli frustrate their hosts at the San Siro and earn a 0-0 draw.
Match facts…
➤ Empoli have drawn nine of their 30 previous encounters against Milan in Serie A (W3 L18); only against two teams have they drawn more often in the to-flight: Udinese (10) and Torino (11).
➤ Milan are the team that have scored the most away goals against Empoli in Serie A (29 goals) and the one that have played the most matches without ever losing at the Tuscan team’s home in the competition (P15 W8 D7).
➤ Empoli are the team that have earned the fewest points in home matches this season (5) and have scored the fewest goals in home games (5).
➤ In the big five European Leagues in 2023, only Almería (24) lost more matches than Empoli (20); only in one other calendar year have the Tuscan side lost as many Serie A games (20 in 2016).
➤ Empoli were the team that failed to score in the most different Serie A matches in 2023 (18), and only in 2016 did they do so more often in the competition (21).
➤ Milan have won four of their last six Serie A games (D1 L1), following a series of four matches without a win in the league (D2 L2). Indeed, the Rossoneri have kept clean sheets in two of their last three league matches, as many as in their previous eight.
➤ Milan have not won in four away league matches (D3 L1), they last had a longer such run since a series of six away games without a win, recorded in 2017 with Vincenzo Montella as coach (D4 L2).
➤ 20% of the goals scored by Empoli this season have come from own goals (2/10, including the most recent by Hamza Rafia); in a single Serie A season, no team has had such a high percentage.
➤ Empoli is the team against which Olivier Giroud has played the most minutes without scoring in Serie A (266 minutes in 4 matches) – among players who have scored this season, the Milan striker is the oldest (born 30th September 1986).
➤ Nicolò Cambiaghi (34) is the player who has attempted the most shots without scoring in Serie A this season; the Empoli player has not scored since last May, when he netted a goal in three consecutive matches, against Salernitana, Bologna, and Sassuolo (21 games since then).
Ones to watch
Pioli’s continued confidence in Olivier Giroud has to be repaid soon otherwise the 58-year-old may have no other option but to opt for the Serbian striker moving forward. As a result, the Frenchman has to show that he is the man to lead the Rossoneri on Sunday and break his goalscoring drought.
With Ismael Bennacer absent due to the African Cup Of Nations, there is a gap in midfield, and Yacine Adli needs to prove that he is the man to fill it. After impressing against Cagliari, there is now a benchmark, and if he can prove his worth, then it may lessen any worries about midfield depth over the next month.
For the hosts, there has to be an eye on Ciccio Caputo – and his story is rather remarkable. He only started playing consistently in the Serie A at 30+ and has been a lethal goalscorer since (69 league goals), often helping the Azzurri in key moments. Additionally, it is his 200th Serie A appearance tomorrow, so he will want to mark the occasion with a good performance.
Prediction
Coming off the high of the Coppa Italia result comes with advantages and disadvantages for AC Milan. The advantage is that confidence will be brewing. However, there will now be an expectation for similar results to follow against opponents of similar quality.
Empoli have shown they are vulnerable to conceding goals this season, and Milan’s attackers have a point to prove, which could point in one direction.
Empoli 0-3 AC Milan
“Empoli is the team against which Olivier Giroud has played the most minutes without scoring in Serie A…” Makes sense to start him over Jovic who’s in red hot form then…
Well, it does. Giroud is the best scorer AND has the most assists of Milan players. And he also was rested against Cagliari. So. Perfect sense.
What red hot form .jovic .two goals against opponents that were very poor ,,and indeed used a completely new line up ..Had Olivier Giroud started that match he could easily have scored two goals ,,their goalkeeper could and should have saved at least two of the 4 he conceded.. Yes that said jovic does seem to be in good form so that’s good news ..now just looked at oliviers stats 8 goals 6 assists,,that’s not bad for 37 years of age ,,,but that no could well end up at over 20 goals in all competitions plus no doubt more assists.
Giroud is also the man for the big games ,,and he can score against any team ,,,he has great technique and ability for a big man ,,,and his heading ability is also very good ,,,that’s the reason why he is starting many of the games ,,,poili knows this that’s why he plays him …but yes Olivier you need to score tomorrow.
Both Giroud and Jovic are in great form. Stop downplaying our own players. Just stop. Giroud is rested and can start this game.