AC Milan got back to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Empoli on Wednesday night, led by a brace from Franck Kessie.
The Rossoneri were looking to bounce back after defeat to Napoli last time out, and they produced a response as Kessie’s double and goals from Alessandro Florenzi and Theo Hernandez helped secure all three points.
READ MORE: Milan player ratings vs Napoli: Blunt attack sees Rossoneri slump to defeat
It was an important reaction and an ideal way to end 2021, albeit the two goals conceded were a disappointing aspect of the performance and night as we try to tighten things up at the back again.
Nevertheless, the win leaves Milan in second place in the Serie A standings as we enter the winter break, four points adrift of leaders Inter and three ahead of closest rivals Napoli below. The break will hopefully now give Stefano Pioli a chance to recover some more key individuals and have a fully-fit squad available in the New Year.
AC Milan player ratings vs Empoli:
Mike Maignan, 6.5 – Certainly could have done better to deny Bajrami’s goal and so he’ll be disappointed with that, but also produced some key saves to help us on our way to securing all three points.
Alessandro Florenzi, 6.5 – Came under pressure defensively and so it was a difficult night in that regard, but he stood up to the threat well and also found the back of the net with a brilliant free-kick to score his first goal for Milan.
Fikayo Tomori, 6 – Had his moments where he’ll look back and want to address certain issues, but responded well and produced an important defensive display to help keep things tight.
Alessio Romagnoli, 6 – Struggled early on with Pinamonti in particular, but improved as the game went on and started to win his duels and marshal the backline well to help us on our way to three points.
Theo Hernandez, 6.5 – Scored a great goal to cap off a much-improved performance. Has struggled in recent weeks to reach his best form again, with his absence due to COVID not helpful. However, this was the first sign of him returning to his previous high levels as he attacked well down the left flank and got on the scoresheet too.
Sandro Tonali, 6.5 – An impressive outing as he was under pressure in midfield but showed good composure and intelligence to get himself out of trouble and maintain possession. Further, he was also crucial in providing defensive protection for the backline with his tackles and interceptions.
Ismael Bennacer, 6 – Not a particularly stand-out performance, but he supported Tonali well in midfield and helped to keep things tight and compact, which in turn gave us a foothold in the game.
Messias Junior, 5.5 – Worked hard off the ball but couldn’t provide any real spark or creative quality in the final third to cause Empoli too many problems, as in fairness, they defended well against him to limit his threat.
Franck Kessie, 7.5 – A smart switch from Pioli as he shifted Kessie further up the pitch and it paid off. Took his goals well and although he was deployed in a more advanced role, he stuck to his task off the ball of trying to apply pressure and press the Empoli midfielders to make life difficult for them in trying to break through us.
Alexis Saelemaekers, 7.5 – A big game from the Belgian, as he was involved in all four of our goals in some form. The challenge for him is always trying to be more decisive and influential in front of goal to go along with his tireless displays, and this was an ideal outing for him as he played a pivotal role in the win.
Olivier Giroud, 6 – Did well to provide an assist for Kessie, but he was tightly marked and kept quiet for the most part by a tenacious Empoli defence. Still, his presence and physicality up front helped us on our way to a 4-2 win.
Substitutions:
Pierre Kalulu, 6 – Did well after coming on. Nothing extraordinary or stand-out in nature, but carried out his defensive duties diligently and helped us see out the victory.
Tiemoue Bakayoko, 5 – Was having a good impact on the game to shore things up in midfield, but then gave away the penalty to give Empoli some late hope and ruin his own personal performance.
Rade Krunic, N/A
Brahim Diaz, N/A