AC Milan secured a very important win against Empoli on Saturday evening. On top of getting the three points, they also dominated the game from start to finish, which is something that Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted this morning.
As the pink newspaper begins (see photo below), it was finally a quiet day for Milan. Indeed, it’s not often that the Rossoneri control a game from start to finish, getting to goalscoring opportunities so many times without conceding a bunch at the back.
The last big win for Paulo Fonseca’s men came on September 27, the 3-0 win against Lecce. Yesterday, they scored twice in the first half and then killed the game in the second, giving the impression that nothing unexpected could have happened.
Empoli’s struggles in midfield made things easier, of course, but Milan deserve praise for playing as a team and getting the job done. Youssouf Fofana and Tijjani Reijnders both did very well, especially the latter, and this helped the Rossoneri control the game.
From a tactical point of view, Yunus Musah was very valuable in midfield as he helped Fofana with the pressing, as well as opening space for Emerson Royal in attack. Alvaro Morata, meanwhile, opened the scoring with the crucial goal and then sacrificed himself in the defensive phase.
Milan are still looking for the best balance and currently, Morata’s willingness in the defensive phase is fundamental. However, if the defensive mechanism were to improve, then the Spaniard would soon be able to focus on his tasks inside the opponent’s penalty box.
To understand if Milan really are growing or if it was just a false alarm in the fog at San Siro, we will have to wait for the next match in Bergamo: Atalanta will be a very reliable test. It will certainly be a tough game and a win there would say a lot.
Signs of growth
Yesterday, Milan managed the possession without anxiety. Furthermore, Fonseca’s team only conceded one real shot to Empoli (nine minutes into the second half, when Maleh hit the crossbar) and this was despite pushing forward quite a lot.
The second consecutive clean sheet (in the league), an unprecedented event this season, is another positive sign of the day. Now, however, comes the difficult part: showing the same compactness and attention always and above all against stronger opponents.
