THE PRIMAVERA BEAT EMPOLI 4-0 AND PROGRESS TO THE QUARTERS

Good things come in threes. After knocking out Entella and Sampdoria, AC Milan Primavera beat Empoli convincingly and qualified for the Quarter-finals of the Primavera TIM Cup. A great result for Coach Abate’s team, winning 4-0 in Tuscany thanks to goals from Liberali, Stalmach, Magni and Paloschi. Four different scorers for a strongly sought-after victory after having lost 2-1 on this very pitch in the league just over a month ago. 

Following defeats to Cagliari and Lazio in the league, the Rossoneri made the most of their opportunity to bounce back in the Coppa Italia. Nastiness, personality and a great desire to get out of this difficult period shone through in this match, securing the win as well as exacting revenge on Empoli. Now in the quarter-finals against either Genoa or Fiorentina, whilst this weekend will see the Rossoneri face Genoa on Saturday at 13:00 CET. 

WATCH OUT THE GALLERY FROM EMPOLI V AC MILAN

MATCH REPORT
The Rossoneri’s gameplan was clear to see from start to finish and the aggressive team press put Empoli into difficulty, especially after the first quarter of an hour of play. The opening goal came on the stroke of half an hour, thanks to Liberali: Mattia was the quickest to react to a loose ball in the box, pouncing and scoring. 1-0 AC Milan and it was all downhill from there. It didn’t take long for AC Milan to find the doubler, and it was a gem borne from the right foot of Dariusz Stalmach, who found the courage to have a go from distance and was awarded with a stunner that crashed against the crossbar before bouncing over the line. The Pole’s goal in the 40th minute meant the Rossoneri had a two-goal advantage going into the break. 

Empoli changed the gameplan at halftime and tried to ignite a reaction at the start of the second half but the Rossoneri rearguard stood strong, containing any Azzurri attempts with little trouble. Having exhausted their efforts in trying to get back into the game, Empoli handed the game back to the Rossoneri, who scored twice in the last quarter of the match, sealing victory. First was Vittorio Magni, who scored his first Primavera goal with a tenacious move that ended with an accurate shot into the corner. The fourth goal came from another defender, this time Dorian Paloschi, who reacted quickest to divert Cuenca’s cross into the back of the net. 4-0 fulltime! 

POST MATCH REACTIONS

DORIAN PALOSCHI
"We managed to approach the game in the right way right from the start, meaning we went into the break two goals up. We didn't give up in the first minutes of the second half and this allowed us to keep control of the game and then increase the lead. I’m happy to have scored my first Primavera goal, it's a unique feeling and I hope there are more to come." 

DARIUSZ STALMACH
"I am very pleased with the team's performance and the result we achieved. It was a very important match for us, we played against a team which caused us big problems in this season, so we are even more proud that we reacted well after two losses in the league. The goal I scored makes me very happy because I have been waiting for it for quite a long time. Obtaining it is the result of working in training and listening to the coaches' advice"

IGNAZIO ABATE
"I'm satisfied, we played a great game, working well in the final 25 metres, occupying the area. We dominated the pitch for 90 minutes, I’m happy because if we can end the year well, we’ll be up and running in all competitions. Now we have to recover our energy well because we have a massive game against Genoa in just two days."

MATCH DETAILS

EMPOLI 0-4 AC MILAN

EMPOLI (4-2-3-1): Seghetti; Falcusan, Tosto, Mannelli (71' Pailiuc), Majdandžić; Bacci, Kaczmarski (46' Stoyanov); Vallarelli, Fini (86' De Ferdinando), Nabian (60' Ansah); El Biache (71' Benyahia). Subs: Vertua, Gaj, Popov, Bacciardi, Bembista, Barsotti. Coach: Birindelli.

MILAN (4-3-3): Reveyre; Magni, Paloschi, Nsiala (79' Nissen), Jiménez (69' De Bonis); Stalmach (79' Perina), Malaspina (61' Cuenca), Zeroli; Liberali, Camarda, Scotti (69' Skoczylas). Subs: Bartoccioni, Torriani; Bakoune, Parmiggiani; Martinazzi, Sia. Coach: Abate. 

Referee: Manzo di Torre Annunziata.
Goals: 30' Liberali (M), 40' Stalmach (M), 78' Magni (M), 84' Paloschi (M).

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