AC Milan 3-0 Empoli: Five things we learned – Reijnders show and promising partnership | OneFootball

After a hard-fought win against Slovan Bratislava, AC Milan added yet another win to their tally, though with more comfort as they beat Empoli 3-0. Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the game.

Fonseca decided to change things up a bit with the starting XI, with Alvaro Morata returning along with Yunus Musah. The main goal was for the Spaniard to break his two-month goal drought, and he needed just 19 minutes to do so with a nice finish inside the box.

Tijjani Reijnders doubled the lead in the 44th minute, just before the half-time mark, after a lovely half-volley that was well-deserved for the Dutchman. Indeed, he continues to shine in the midfield and make things tick for Milan.

He wasn’t done their either, getting his second goal in the 69th minute after a fantastic solo run and finish to form the final 3-0 scoreline. The Rossoneri also managed to keep a clean sheet, which is a nice morale boost following some questionable defensive performances. Below are five things we learned…

1. Morata strikes at last

The Spaniard has worked very hard in recent weeks, but despite the work-rate in both phases of the game, he has failed to actually contribute with goals. As such, he was clearly on a mission to change that against Empoli.

Photo by AC Milan

As luck would have it, he succeeded after a lovely finish from inside the box, getting on the end of a loose ball. He also linked up nicely with his teammates for the bigger part of the game, even though he faded a bit towards the end.

Fortunately for Fonseca, even without Morata, his team managed to score goals but it will be a big boost if the striker becomes a constant threat in the opponent’s penalty box. Indeed, it will help the team be a bit more unpredictable.

2. Thiaw-Gabbia pairing looking promising

The duo managed to neutralise Empoli, leaving them little to work with and with both showing great confidence with and without the ball.

Malick Thiaw is arguably the best defender Fonseca has in terms of building up front the back, since his passing abilities do not disappoint. Gabbia, meanwhile, was acting more as an old-school defender, using his physicality and aggression to win balls back on the ground and in aerial duels.

This partnership really seems like it has the potential to be the starting choice for Fonseca. It should also be mentioned that both players are fairly young and have the potential to become even better as time goes by.

3. Reijnders show

The Dutchman has inarguably been the best midfielder for Milan since the start of the season, as well as one of the best players overall.

Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Against Empoli, he continued on the path of strong performances and scored two lovely goals. The first was a lovely half-volley finish and if that wasn’t good enough, the second came after an impressive solo run.

The midfielder has been an engine for the Rossoneri with 3 goals and 3 assists in 12 games in the league, as well as 3 goals in 5 games in the Champions League. This is quite an improvement compared to last season.

4. Leao and Pulisic not efficient enough

Rafael Leao was involved in a lot in the first half and had a lot of good moments, combining with his teammates and beating his man.

The Portuguese winger also opened up a lot of space for his teammates and had a good game, but it’s equally true that he could have done more with the ball in front of the goal. He had the confidence to dribble, which is great, but the success wasn’t always there.

The same could be said for Christian Pulisic, who opened up a lot of space for his team and was creative in the final third. However, he lacked the final pass or shot as he failed to square it on a couple of occasions where a pass would have likely resulted in a goal.

It’s in games like this that Milan must make the most out of the chances presented to them, because against the bigger teams, the chances won’t be as many and the efficiency will be needed to win.

5. Musah building momentum

The American international had a good game against Juventus and he helped Emerson Royal a lot defensively, as was expected. In attack, Musah wasn’t as efficient except for a few occasions, but he did help a lot to keep the clean sheet.

Photo by AC Milan

Against Slovan Bratislava, Musah came off the bench to replace a struggling Chukwueze and did well in the little time he had, earning himself a start against Empoli. Above all, though, it seems starting him on the right is a tactical move by Fonseca to get more balance.

Furthermore, given Chukwueze’s disappointing performances, Musah might get a lot of playing time and improve further as his work-rate is definitely of use to Fonseca.