AC Milan came out 1-0 winners over Empoli at San Siro on Saturday with Pierre Kalulu’s goal the difference between the two sides.
The Rossoneri weren’t convincing and although there was a level of control over the game throughout, Empoli had their moments and certainly threatened to produce an upset.
READ MORE: AC Milan 1-0 Empoli: Match report, highlights as Kalulu goal seals win
Fortunately, Stefano Pioli saw his side keep another clean sheet which has to be the foundation for the team moving forward, and while there was plenty of quality about Kalulu’s finish to break the deadlock, there was an obvious lack of any attacking class for the rest of the encounter.
In turn, the majority of the Milan players rate poorly this week, and it’s undoubtedly something that needs to improve if we’re going to put together a winning run to end the season and put ourselves at the forefront of the Scudetto battle.
AC Milan player ratings vs Empoli:
Mike Maignan, 7 – Made three important saves in the second half as he protected his clean sheet and preserved our lead. Crucial contribution after a quiet first half.
Davide Calabria, 6 – Battled hard throughout and put in a solid defensive shift, but sloppy with his play in possession which led to Empoli winning the ball back on countless occasions.
Pierre Kalulu, 7.5 – Great goal, took it really well with a composed and controlled finish. Used his physicality and pace well to nullify Empoli’s threat and showed impressive reading of the game to cut out danger.
Fikayo Tomori, 7 – Another solid performance as although there were perhaps one or two dangerous moments, he kept his head and put up a shield in front of Maignan for the most part to play a key part in keeping a clean sheet.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6.5 – Forced a great save out of the Empoli goalkeeper with a curling effort in the first half, but after that it was more about the defensive side of the game and he was tireless and scrappy in his play.
Sandro Tonali, 6 – A presence in that midfield battle and kept things tidy without ever really taking full control of the game and dominating. Not quite as good as we’ve seen from him this season, but nonetheless, an important effort.
Ismael Bennacer, 6.5 – Did well again with his defensive work in front of the backline as he was constantly applying pressure on Empoli when they had the ball and either forcing them into mistakes of winning possession back. Putting together a positive run of form.
Messias Junior, 5.5 – Had a couple attempts on goal as he cut inside onto his left foot, but never really troubled Empoli. Did well with his effort off the ball, but as a key part of our attacking unit, he’s not producing anywhere near enough quality in the final third.
Franck Kessie, 6 – Performance level dropped in the second half as he looked off the pace. Did well in the opening 45 minutes to break up Empoli’s rhythm and play, but again, if Pioli is going to play him in that No.10 role, we need more from him from an attacking perspective to help find breakthroughs.
Rafael Leao, 6 – Bit of concern as he disappeared in the second half and that is something he used to do quite often when searching for form. Showed glimpses before the break with some nice flicks and tricks, but didn’t go right for him again as he couldn’t make a decisive contribution.
Olivier Giroud, 6 – A frustrating night for him and this is the problem when he doesn’t receive the service from around him. With no creativity or quality in the side in the final third, Giroud was left isolated and unable to get involved in the game, and so Pioli needs to find a solution for that quickly.
Substitutes:
Brahim Diaz, 6 – Tried to provide a spark for us in attacking areas, and while it was an improvement on what was in the game before him, wasn’t able to directly influence the scoreline.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 5 – Worked hard after coming on and was arguably more impactful than Messias, but once again his lack of quality in key situations let him down.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 6 – An important contribution off the bench as he brought some calmness and leadership to the pitch as we slowed the game down and maintained possession better.
Ante Rebic, N/A
Rade Krunic, N/A
