VICTORY OVER EMPOLI MARKS MIDWAY POINT IN SERIE A

The Rossoneri dazzled as they reached the halfway mark in Serie A, taking momentum into the start of 2024 in the league. AC Milan won away from home in Serie A for the first time in three months as they beat Empoli 3-0 and strengthened their hold on third place in the table. Three points, a clean sheet and a deserved victory gave plenty of positives for Pioli's side, who got out to a two-goal lead in the first half thanks to a goal from Loftus-Cheek and Giroud's penalty before Chaka Traorè added a third late on. The Rossoneri have a great record in the first half of matches this season, having scored 21 goals in this portion of the game (the highest of any team in the league).

A clinical and complete performance was certainly the highest point from our midday kick-off in Tuscany (our final match of the first half of the season). Other noteworthy happenings at the Castellani were Loftus-Cheek's second goal for the Club, Giroud back on the scoresheet - for his tenth goal in all competitions in 2023/24 - and a first top-flight goal for Traorè after he scored in the cup in midweek. Jiménez also made his first appearance in the league, while another 2005-born defender, Bartesaghi, got minutes in the second half. We're back in 72 hours for more Coppa Italia football; on Wednesday 10 January at 21:00 CET, AC Milan host Atalanta at San Siro in the quarters.

CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM EMPOLI v AC MILAN

MATCH REPORT
The Rossoneri were proactive and hungry from the off. After two chances - Reijnders' right-footed shot inside two minutes and Calabria's low cross into the area after nine minutes that missed everyone - we broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, with Leão flying down the left-hand side, picking out Loftus-Cheek in the box, who slotted home perfectly into the net. The early goal didn't stop the course of the game, with the Rossoneri in control. After 21 minutes, Theo's brilliant run down the left saw him cut inside and get a right-footed shot away that was saved by Caprile, while at the opposite end Grassi's left-footed shot ended up just over. On the half-hour mark, the Rossoneri doubled the lead: Loftus-Cheek's overhead kick hit the hands of Maleh, and Giroud stepped up to coolly convert the penalty. At the end of the first half, an injury for Florenzi saw him replaced by Álex Jiménez for his Serie A debut, before two attempts from the home side - Ranocchia and Cambiaghi - failed to trouble Maignan.

The second half started at a slower pace than the first half, also due to a heavy pitch from the incessant rain that poured down on the Castellani. On 61 minutes, Pulisic's good header was tipped over by Caprile, while three minutes later Leão opened up his body too much and curled over with his right from inside the area. As the minutes passed by, Empoli grew into the half, and looked particularly dangerous through Cambiaghi and Cancellieri's counterattack in the 70th minute (Maignan saving with his chest). Leão tried an acrobatic attempt after 73 minutes, but it was blocked by the Tuscan defence. Bartesaghi stopped Cancellieri's shot in the 78th minute, while Theo's timely diving header in the area in the 86th minute kept out Maleh's effort. And in the 88th minute, on the break, the game was put to bed with a third and final goal: a quick breakaway by Pulisic quickly breaking away before slipping in Traorè, who made no mistake in beating an onrushing Caprile. It ended 3-0 for us!

MATCH DETAILS

EMPOLI 0-3 AC MILAN

EMPOLI (4-3-1-2): Caprile; Ebuehi (28' Ranocchia), Ismajli, Walukiewicz, Luperto; Gyasi, Grassi (74' Marin), Maleh; Baldanzi (57' Cancellieri); Cambiaghi, Caputo (74' Maldini). Subs: Berisha, Perisan; Indragoli; Destro, Shpendi, Sodero. Coach: Andreazzoli.

AC MILAN (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria (70' Bartesaghi), Kjær (84' Gabbia), Hernández, Florenzi (35' Jiménez); Loftus-Cheek (70' Musah), Adli, Reijnders; Pulisic, Giroud, Leão (84' Traorè). Subs: Mirante, Nava; Simić; Romero, Zeroli; Jović. Coach: Pioli.

Referee: La Penna from Roma 1.
Goals: 11' Loftus-Cheek (M), 31' pen. Giroud (M), 88' Traorè (M).
Booked: 41' Calabria (M), 54' Jiménez (M), 81' Marin (E).

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