A lackluster Milan takes another step towards the ‘scudetto’ (1-0)

Milan once again had many problems to win at the San Siro but a goal from the young defender Pierre Kalulu was enough to defeat Empoli (1-0) and consolidate the leadership of Serie A. The victory allows them to provisionally increase their advantage to five points over Inter and six over Napoli before they visit Torino and Verona respectively tomorrow.

Milan had control of the game but did not give their game a rhythm that would put Empoli in difficulties, more aware of not losing structure in defense. Rafael Leao could not bring out his speed and quality to overwhelm and it was full-back Alessandro Florenzi, who changed wings and played on the left in place of the absent Theo Hernández, who created danger at the beginning with a couple of arrivals.

In the first, in the 9th minute, Florenzi forced goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to shine with his shot after returning the ball to Franck Kessié, who again advanced his position and played as a midfielder.

Kalulu, the unexpected scorer

It was another defender, Pierre Kalulu, who opened the scoring in Milan’s hopeful start to the game. Olivier Giroud took a free kick against the wall and the French centre-back, attentive to the rebound, placed a good shot with his left foot from the edge of the box (19′). It is the 21-year-old player’s second goal since he signed for the ‘Rossonero’ club in the summer of 2020.

The first half was entertaining but there were few scoring chances and Vicario did not have to intervene until the 45th minute to get a header from Giroud after a free kick taken by Ismael Bennacer.

Maignan avoids the draw

The second half started with a scare for Milan as Mike Mignan prevented the equalizer with a feline intervention to prevent a ball combed backwards by central defender Sebastiano Luperto from finding the net (51′).

An occasion that had no continuity. The match followed the same trend and Milan, for many phases thick in the creation phase, could not close the victory although they did not suffer either. Stefano Pioli introduced a double substitution in the 83rd minute to give his team the final boost, bringing in Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ante Rebic for Giroud and Leao.

In the end, the 1-0 ended up prevailing on the scoreboard and Milan, with 9 games to play, took another step towards their long-awaited first ‘scudetto’ since 2011.