San Siro will serve as the backdrop to conclude Friday’s Serie A action as defending champions AC Milan face bottom-half Empoli.
AC Milan snapped their four-game winless run across all competitions with a bang by scoring four unanswered goals past Serie A leaders Napoli last Sunday away at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona ahead of the clash with Empoli.
It was one of the best performances of the season for the Rossoneri, and it was exactly what Stefano Pioli’s side required ahead of the important Champions League quarter-final tie against the same opponent starting midweek.
The win over Napoli lifted them above their city rivals Inter Milan in the standings with 51 points from 28 games. But they are still in a tight mix as teams from third to fifth are separated by a single point.
Meanwhile, Empoli also ended their winless streak as they claimed their first victory in nine as they edged 16th-placed Lecce. But this is a much more difficult assignment. They sit comfortably in 14th place in the league standings with 31 points, 12 points above the relegation zone.
AC Milan clinched a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Empoli in the reverse fixture, with Ante Rebic, Fode Ballo-Toure, and Rafael Leao on target. Ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
Big month, big motivations 👊💪#MilanEmpoli #SempreMilan
Brought to you by @play_eFootball pic.twitter.com/dmRksjkeTP— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 5, 2023
AC Milan will also be without the services of their most famed target man, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had only just returned from a long layoff and is currently recovering from a thigh issue picked up on international duty. Junior Messias (thigh) and Pierre Kalulu (calf) both missed the victory over Napoli due to injury, and they will all be late before Friday’s game.
Head coach Stefano Pioli’s return to his favourite 4-2-3-1 worked wonders against Napoli. However, one notable difference was the role of Ismael Bennacer. Last season, Franck Kessie was pushed up to play behind the striker, a decision that proved crucial in them winning the Scudetto. Bennacer was holding a similar advanced position that caught Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti by surprise.
Pioli will keep the same formation but is expected to make a couple of changes to the starting line-up for the game, with half an eye on the upcoming Champions League quarter-finals. No radical tweaks, though, as Pioli looks to maintain the positive balance of quality and team chemistry together.
At the back, Mike Maignan, Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, and Theo Hernandez should all retain their starting spots. However, Simon Kjaer will be rested for next midweek’s game, and Malick Thiaw should come back in.
Sandro Tonali and Rade Krunic are expected to be the double midfield pivot, with Ismael Bennacer slightly ahead of them as the attacking No. 10, which suits his ball progression and dribbling attributes. Rafael Leao should be manning the left flank, with Alexis Saelemaekers getting the nod ahead of Brahim Diaz on the right and Olivier Giroud up top.
Probable lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic; Saelemaekers, Bennacer, Leao; Giroud
Empoli
Head coach Paolo Zanetti can be satisfied with his team’s defensive effort, as they limited Lecce to five shots, none of which were on target.
Guglielmo Vicario remains ruled out through injury, meaning yet another start for Samuele Perisan between the sticks. Adrian Ismajli may be fit to return to the fold and could even be handed a start in the central defensive rearguard alongside Sebastiano Luperto by Zanetti this Friday night.
Zanetti will line Empoli up in his preferred 4-3-2-1 formation, with Tyronne Ebuehi and Fabiano Parisi operating as full-backs, looking to keep things solid against Rafael Leao and Alexis Saelemaekers.
📸 Azzurri al lavoro nel pomeriggio al Sussidiario, domani mattina ultima seduta prima della partenza per Milano 💪 pic.twitter.com/QbXozSJi9d
— Empoli Football Club Official (@EmpoliFC) April 5, 2023
Filippo Bandinelli is a certain starter in the middle of the park, partnering up alongside the midfield presences of Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and Razvan Marin. The trio will try to compete in the difficult-looking midfield battle and provide the visitors with much-needed forward thrust.
The creative onus will largely lie on the shoulders of attacking midfielder Tommaso Baldanzi, who is the club’s top scorer with four goals. Francesco Caputo and Inter Milan loanee Martin Satriano will form the two-man strike force, with the latter looking to impress on his San Siro homecoming.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Perisan; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Parisi; Bandinelli, Marin, Akpa Akpro; Baldanzi; Satriano, Caputo
Key Stats
- AC Milan have a decent record versus Empoli, having won each of their last four Serie A encounters against them.
- Only Juventus, Napoli and Inter Milan have bettered the hosts’ tally of 29 points on their home turf this term.
- Even the home advantage has been massively beneficial for Milan, with three wins and a draw from their last four home games in all competitions.
- Empoli have lost four of their last five Serie A matches, although they have won their last game.
- Paolo Zanetti’s men do have issues with the lack of efficiency in the final third, having notched only three goals in the last five league encounters.
Player to Watch
Rafael Leao
Milan’s marquee attacker has not been at his unplayable best lately but bounced back in style against Napoli last time out. Pioli reverted to his old system, which enabled Leao to thrive back out wide on the flank.
His first one arrived as a cute one-on-one chip over Alex Meret. The quick goal gave the winger confidence, and he later netted Milan’s third with an incredible feint inside the box. The 23-year-old’s form is vital towards Milan’s hopes to get back on track towards the end of the season and get desirable results both domestically and in Europe.
Prediction
AC Milan 2-0 Empoli
AC Milan would have probably eased past this clash easily last season. But they may have to sweat out three points here. However, The Hard Tackle backs the Rossoneri to close in on second place with a victory at home over struggling Empoli, who have lost four of their last five games in Serie A.
Although they cannot be faulted for looking ahead to the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals next week, AC Milan won’t want to lose confidence. While the visitors may potentially be able to frustrate Milan in a few spells of the game, the hosts will likely prove too hot to handle and should be able to build on their big psychological advantage over Napoli ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final double header next midweek.
