AC Milan return to Serie A motion after their midweek journey to Slovakia and they’ll hope to take a step in the correct path domestically as Empoli come to San Siro.
Milan scored three objectives, obtained three factors and continued their push for the highest eight within the Champions League, and but the narrative after the Slovan Bratislava recreation was removed from overwhelmingly optimistic.
The reared their ugly head and Paulo Fonseca is a person beneath strain to repair recurring points, one thing that he did acknowledge in on the eve of the sport.
Sport date: Saturday, November 30Kick-off time: 18:00 (CET)Venue: San SiroReferee: Federico Dionisi (VAR: Pairetto)
Staff information
As talked about, Milan are beneath strain to select issues up within the league on condition that they’re 10 factors off high spot and even 9 from the Champions League locations.
The final reminiscence for the workforce earlier than leaving for Bratislava could have been the jeers from their very own followers after the dire 0-0 draw with Juventus on Saturday night, so there’ll really feel like a way of obligation to placed on extra of a present.
When it comes to workforce information, there are the three acquainted harm absences. Luka Jovic prior to now few days, whereas Ismael Bennacer and Alessandro Florenzi are nonetheless recovering from their respective operations.
There have been some worries about Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic following the midweek win as each of them weren’t at their greatest in the direction of the tip of the sport, although concerning their circumstances.
The ultimate bit of stories is that Alvaro Morata might be again within the fold after serving a one-game suspension within the Champions League, that means Tammy Abraham and Francesco Camarda are the opposite two striker choices.
On the time of publishing, there are nonetheless some doubts in regards to the workforce that Fonseca will identify for the sport. imagine that Mike Maignan could have a line of defense of Emerson Royal, Matteo Gabbia, Fikayo Tomori and Theo Hernandez forward of him.
Doubts persist as at all times in regards to the centre-back pairing that might be used given the constant rotation this season, however one pairing that appears sure is Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders in midfield.
Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Alvaro Morata all seem pretty positive of a spot within the assault, however the query mark is about the place Pulisic and Morata will play.
Ought to the American be used as a playmaker, the Spanish striker would go up entrance and Samuel Chukwueze could be on the correct. Morata although may play behind Tammy Abraham, placing Pulisic again on the correct.
Predicted Milan XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Gabbia, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Morata.
The opponents
Final season noticed Empoli keep away from relegation in dramatic circumstances, ending one level above the drop zone as Frosinone went down as a substitute of them.
The Tuscan facet went by way of three head coaches: Paolo Zanetti till September 19, Aurelio Andreazzoli till January 15 after which Davide Nicola till the tip of the season.
They started the marketing campaign with 5 straight defeats by which they didn’t rating and conceded 13, and so they went on one other couple of lengthy stretches with out profitable. Nonetheless, a 2-1 victory over Roma on the final day noticed them recover from the road.
Nicola went to Cagliari and thus one other managerial appointment was wanted. Empoli turned to Roberto D’Aversa, previously of Lecce and Sampdoria.
They generated round €10m in gross sales from the departures of Sebastian Walukiewicz to Torino, Sebastiano Luperto to Cagliari and Samuele Angori to Pisa.
Nonetheless, they didn’t spend a penny on switch charges. Tino Anjorin got here from Chelsea on a free, whereas Federico Brancolini signed on a Bosman from Lecce. Lorenzo Colombo (from Milan) and Sebastiano Esposito (from Inter) joined on mortgage.
The listing of loanees goes on with Mattia Viti, Pietro Pellegri, Saba Sazonov, Ola Solbakken, Junior Sambia, Mattia De Sciglio and Devis Vasquez (additionally from Milan). Pellegri and De Sciglio, after all, are ex-Rossoneri gamers too.
The begin to the 2024-25 marketing campaign has been optimistic in reality. Wins away at Roma and Cagliari early on gave them some momentum, whereas a latest victory over Como and a few attracts has them sat comfortably in tenth.
Empoli do have some gamers to look out for, such because the ex-Milan duo Lorenzo Colombo and Pietro Pellegri in assault, Devis Vasquez in objective and Giuseppe Pezzella because the left wing-back.
D’Aversa has prompt that the sheer quantity of absences that his facet are coping with makes it powerful for them to get a consequence, however he’s , suggesting {that a} little bit of luck may be wanted.
Predicted Empoli XI (3-4-2-1): Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Maleh, Pezzella; Colombo, Cacace; Pellegri.
Face to face
AC Milan have performed 36 aggressive matches towards Empoli of their virtually 125-year historical past, with a beneficial file of 21 wins, 11 attracts and 4 defeats, a win fee of 58.3%.
Final season the Rossoneri ran out comfy winners away from house within the first assembly, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Olivier Giroud and Chaka Traore all netting in a 3-0 victory on the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
The return recreation at San Siro was a way more tense affair, one by which Christian Pulisic scored the one objective of the sport 40 minutes in.
The final time Milan misplaced to the Azzurri was within the 2016-17 season (1-2, at San Siro). Earlier than that, it was again in October 2007, so the uncommon defeats are effectively spaced, however this could function a warning.
Key info and stats
➤ Milan have gained six of their final seven Serie A matches (D1) towards Empoli, retaining a clear sheet infive of these video games, together with the final three. All three of Empoli’s victories of their 32 Serie A encounters (D9 L20) towards Milan have come at San Siro: in 2003, 2007 and the newest in 2017.
➤ Milan have alternated between a match with not less than one objective conceded and a clear sheet of their final 10 league matches; particularly, the Rossoneri haven’t conceded a objective in 5 of their final 9 Serie A encounters, together with the newest towards Juventus – only one fewer clear sheet than the six they recorded within the earlier 23 matches plaved in 2024.
➤ Milan have failed to attain of their final two Serie A video games performed at San Siro (D1 L1). The final time the Rossoneri went with out a victory for greater than two consecutive house video games within the league was between February and April 2021 (4 video games), whereas the final time they went greater than two consecutive house matches with out scoring was between October and November 2017 (4 video games).
➤ Milan have 19 factors this season (W5 D4 L3). For the reason that introduction of three factors for a win (from the 1994/95 season), the Rossoneri have solely completed within the high three as soon as in 11 cases the place they gathered fewer than 19 factors after the primary 12 Serie A matches – in 2012/13, once they completed third
➤ Empoli have drawn their final two league matches 1-1 (towards Lecce and Udinese) and will finish three consecutive matches with a 1-1 draw for the primary time of their Serie A historical past.
➤ Empoli have drawn their final two away matches within the league (towards Parma and Lecce) and will finish three consecutive away matches in Serie A in a draw for the primary time since December 2021-February 2022 (4 in that case).
➤ Milan is the one workforce but to attain a objective from outdoors the field in Serie A this season; the final long- vary objective by the Rossoneri was again in Could towards Cagliari (scored by Tijjani Reijnders). In the meantime,Empoli have had the fewest pictures from outdoors the field within the present league season (39, 12 fewer than Milan), however from these, two objectives have been scored
➤ Milan’s Tammy Abraham has scored extra Serie A objectives towards Empoli than another opponent (4). Having scored towards Cagliari final trip, the English striker is seeking to rating in consecutive league video games for the primary time since March 2022.
➤ Pietro Pellegri has already scored three objectives (one in every of his final three matches) in 9 video games of this season – as many as within the earlier two Serie A seasons, however in 42 matches with Torino. For the reason that introduction of three factors for a win (from the 1994/95 season), onlv two Empoli plavers have scored in 4 consecutive league video games: Francesco Tavano (2006) and Massimo Maccarone (2015).
Ones to look at
Whereas the likes of Leao and Pulisic are in nice kind, there are a number of gamers beneath scrutiny. Morata’s home objective drought that has gone on for 2 months, on condition that his final in Serie A dates again to September 27, when he opened the scoring with a header from a free-kick within the 3-0 win over Lecce.
Chukwueze in the meantime remains to be on a mission to show that he deserves to often begin video games, after which Theo Hernandez has not but hit the excessive ranges which might be anticipated from him most weeks. Emerson Royal as the opposite full-back now has to battle off Calabria once more to maintain his place.
Empoli are struggling to attain objectives, however Pellegri (three) and Colombo (two, plus an help) have mixed for many of their attacking thread this season. Gyasi – who Milan followers will know from – has a few objectives from wing-back.
There are 4 gamers who’ve began all 13 league video games beneath D’Avera: Gyasi, Ardian Ismajili, Mattia Viti and Devis Vasquez. The latter three are all a part of the rearguard, and that consistency has what has helped them preserve objectives out.
Prediction
Milan are beneath critical strain to not solely win this recreation however achieve this convincingly, in any other case the UCL locations in Serie A will proceed to stay a distant mirage. Predicting a clear sheet appears a step too far for this workforce in the intervening time, that being stated.
Milan 3-1 Empoli