Milan returns to win away from home after 3 months. The Rossoneri performed well overall, Empoli did their best but didn’t make an impact.
Milan’s 2024 is off to a good start. On this gloomy post-Epiphany afternoon, Pioli’s men brought home a convincing victory only up to a certain point. An hour done well, with excellent dribbling and great confidence in transition, was followed by half an hour of the “usual” Milan. The defects of this team, however, are the usual ones. Unable to close out the match (also due to a little too much virtuosity), the Rossoneri suffered several counterattacks from Empoli, who were good at pushing the accelerator in the quarter of an hour of AC Milan amnesia. In a succession of occasions Andreazzoli’s men even came close to scoring a goal that would have reopened the match but first Maignan and then Theo took Pioli’s chestnuts out of the fire. Well done Pulisic and Traore to realize the perfect counterattack to make it 0-3, bringing Milan back to away victory after 3 months.
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To decide the match the most awaited men took care of it: first Leao to serve Loftus Cheek for the 0-1, then Giroud to coolly seal the penalty to double the lead, finally Maignan to secure the result. For Leao and Giroud, in reality, the performance was in chiaroscuro but the numbers, especially for the Frenchman, speak clearly: 9 goals, 5 assists in half the championship are excellent numbers, especially for an attacker who in 2024 will go to the 38. Rafa Leao continues his fast in the championship. We have now been absent from the Serie A scores for more than 3 months, a little too many for a player of his caliber.
The moment of Florenzi’s injury also arrived. For the former Roma player, unexpectedly always available until today, the usual muscular boredom has arrived. The extent is yet to be defined but the stop will keep him out for at least a couple of weeks. A big problem for Stefano Pioli, who was using Florenzi continuously, given the simultaneous absences of Tomori, Kalulu and Thiaw and the Davide Calabria’s really bad season, still in difficulty today against Baldanzi and Cambiaghi. Milan seems to have started 2024 with a different attitude compared to the year. What never changes is the same, worrying, tendency to injury.
To date, Empoli seems to be truly a guest in Serie A 23/24. The game ideas would also be interesting but Andreazzoli has a squad at his disposal that is objectively too short and too young to be able to aspire to a safe survival. Injuries are also taking their toll: the suspended Cacace has been joined by Kovalenko, Fazzini, Bereszinsky, Bastoni and Pezzella. Objectively heavy absences. Yet there is some interesting individuality, with Caprile, Baldanzi and Cambiaghi above all. Too little to raise the overall average quality. Caputo is experiencing the final phase of his career and Grassi, Maleh, Luperto and Gyasi are just two good workers. To obtain salvation, an authentic miracle will be needed.
Milan’s balance sheet, at the halfway point of the season, it is absolutely anonymous. 39 points in the league, not few in absolute but few if referring to those of Inter and Juventus, now at -9 and -4 respectively (with one game less). Furthermore, the performances were not always up to par and the points given to Udinese, Lecce and Salernitana were cardinal sins. In Europe, the Champions League was eliminated, despite the fact that in the end the group proved to be less difficult than expected. In the Italian Cup, the quarter-finals achieved. The injuries certainly took their toll but we often had the feeling that the team was disconnected, especially in the relationship with your coach. Third position (and therefore the Champions League zone) is absolutely safe but at this point of the season, given the summer transfer market, one would have expected a certainly smaller gap compared to the top of the table.
2024-01-07 15:06:14
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