Empoli vs AC Milan : Empoli football coach David Nicola believes that only a “volcanic” effort from his side will be enough to get a result at AC Milan.
The Rossoneri go into Monday’s game on the back of a 4-2 win over Slavia Prague in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie to keep up the pressure on Juventus to finish second behind runaway Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, Empoli are 15th in Serie A, just two points above the relegation zone.
Nicola knows his men will be up in opposition to it at the San Siro but challenge them to go into the game with a positive mindset.
When we talk about a team like Milan strong and with a skilled coach it’s not easy to spot flaws but it’s our job and we do it because every opponent has them Nicola said.
We will need a volcanic Empoli both from the point of view of energy and obsessive organization but also of enthusiasm to show our identity and the desire to continue on our way.
We have prepared. The important thing is to do everything with maximum concentration and enthusiasm because we have to express ourselves.
Nicola will be hoping for a reaction to last weekend’s home defeat to Cagliari.
From a quality point of view, we have already put the previous performances aside Nicola whose team won two of their previous two away games said.
We know we need to improve in certain phases of the match.
The desire to stand against a high-quality team who are used to playing every three days, is an absolute growth opportunity for us.
AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli will be without Rafael Leo through suspense after the Portuguese winger picked up a “fifth” yellow card in the “Serie A” win over Lazio.
Swiss forward Noah Okafor expected to start scored a late winner when he came off the bench at the Stadio Olimpico.
Nicola knows that any side is ready to put a stern test by picking Pioli.
I don’t think Milan are Leo-dependent he’s a fantastic player but they have a competitive squad said the Empoli coach.
Be that as it may we must have the taste and mindset to express ourselves.
Our focus on work never changes no matter the adversary we face.
AC Milan got the job done with a solid performance at home against Empoli, earning three points thanks to the odd goal. Christian Pulisic was the match winner and below are the Rossoneri’s player ratings.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Magnan :
He wasn’t really fazed by Empoli today, with just two shots on target, and he did what was needed in the build-up phase. Perhaps you could argue that the clean sheet should give him a higher rating, but the away side was toothless.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Calabria:
The captain missed a good chance at the back post, failing to hit the target with his header, but otherwise he did very well. Strong in duels and almost always present when going forward, that helped Pulisic gain a lot of space.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Thiao:
Overall, he was solid and imposed himself in duels, always covering a lot of space in the early defensive phase. While he did enough to get a pass here, we have put a minus next to his rating due to a big mistakes in the second half. But 5.5 might be harsher.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Tomori:
He is regain match fitness that’s clear and he is shown his trademark defending with pace and ability to take control of the ball on a few occasions. With him on the pitch Milan can certainly play on a high line.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Hernandez:
A solid performance with a few trademark runs to boost ratings. When things started to go stale for Milan, his movement helped push Empoli out of position and the Rossoneri were then able to dominate again.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Benasar:
He probably had a slow start to the game, misplaced some passes, but he picked up and became a very important player. He’s still unprepared in certain situations, where he would normally thrive, but that pass to Okafor before the goal was crucial.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Reijnders:
The Dutchman covered a lot of ground, as usual, and had several good passes this afternoon. While it wasn’t as spectacular as his mid-week showing, it’s certainly good enough to get a pass here.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Pulisic:
Despite not scoring he was probably the best Milan player on the pitch. He was involved in almost everything the Rossoneri made and had a number of dangerous crosses into the box. Really encouraging stuff as we’ve seen him struggle in 1v1s at times.
Loftus-Cheek: His physicality really sets him apart from the rest and today, he used that strength to perfection. And very unlucky not to get a goal with a lovely strike well saved by the goalkeeper.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Okafor:
He misses a 7 here, as he could have been sharper during 1v1 duels on the left side. It was a really good run to set up the goal, and it’s clear he could be great for Milan with more consistent play.
Empoli vs AC Milan-Jovic:
The Serbian wasn’t necessarily bad, but he struggled to get involved today and probably because of the way Milan played. Giroud also didn’t have much of an impact, which we can get, but it’s still not enough for 6 here.