Having started 2024 with a win, AC Milan aim to continue their upturn in form on Sunday afternoon, when they visit Serie A strugglers Empoli at Stadio Carlo Castellani.
The Rossoneri secured their place in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals in midweek, and they now seek to stay on the coat-tails of Italy's top two.
Match preview
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Having won four of their last six league matches, following a series of four games without a win, Milan built on their positive end to 2023 by sweeping past Cagliari on Tuesday night.
Under-fire coach Stefano Pioli named an unfamiliar XI for a last-16 Coppa Italia clash with the Sardinian side, in which Luka Jovic's brace was followed by strikes from debutant Chaka Traore and Rafael Leao, and the Rossoneri cruised to a comfortable 4-1 victory at San Siro.
After setting up a contest against Lombardy rivals Atalanta BC in next week's quarter-finals, they must now return to Serie A, where they trail city rivals Inter Milan by nine points and second-placed Juventus by seven.
Last Saturday, Pioli's side were under pressure to produce the goods at home to one of their bogey teams, and despite a patchy performance, Christian Pulisic's second-half strike proved enough to beat struggling Sassuolo.
While Milan have not won in four top-flight away matches ahead of this week's trip to Tuscany, they will still arrive in Empoli as strong favourites to prevail, given an incredible run of results at Stadio Castellani down the years.
The Rossoneri have yet to lose a single Serie A fixture at Empoli's headquarters, with eight wins and seven draws from 15 previous visits, so anything less than maximum points will again turn the focus on Pioli.
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If Milan's head coach has problems, then Empoli boss Aurelio Andreazzoli is unlikely to have any sympathy, as the veteran tactician is once again toiling at the wrong end of the Serie A standings.
After losing to Lazio and then drawing with relegation rivals Cagliari either side of Christmas, the Azzurri are mired inside the drop zone, only one point above rock-bottom Salernitana.
In fairness to Andreazzoli, their malaise goes back further, to the reign of former manager Paolo Zanetti: across Europe's top five leagues, only Almeria (24) lost more matches than Empoli throughout 2023.
This season, no team have won fewer points from home matches in Italy's top flight (five), and they have recorded the fewest goals as hosts, too (also five). Again, that lack of firepower follows a trend: Empoli failed to score in no less than 23 games last year.
The last Empoli player to score a goal anywhere was Matteo Cancellieri in early December, and aside from an own goal against Lecce the Tuscan team have not found the net since.
Team News
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Having made numerous changes for the Coppa tie versus Cagliari - including starts for back-up goalkeeper Antonio Mirante and primavera trio Jan-Carlo Simic, Alex Jimenez and Chaka Traore - Stefano Pioli will select his strongest available side on Sunday.
Though still faced by a long absence list, Pioli can now call upon Matteo Gabbia, who has returned from his loan at Villarreal and may feature in central defence. That would allow Theo Hernandez to revert to his favoured left-back role, having provided cover while Fikayo Tomori, Malick Thiaw and Pierre Kalulu remain sidelined.
However, Ismael Bennacer and Samu Chukwueze have both headed off to Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Tommaso Pobega will not return from a thigh injury until April.
An upturn in form for Luka Jovic has served as a reminder of his potency at Eintracht Frankfurt, but Olivier Giroud is expected to replace the Serbian striker up front. Curiously, Giroud has played more minutes against Empoli without scoring (266) than any other Serie A side.
Meanwhile, the Rossoneri's hosts are also short of several defenders: Empoli will not only be without injured duo Simone Bastoni and Giuseppe Pezzella, but Bartosz Bereszynski is hampered by a thigh problem and first-choice left-back Liberato Cacace must serve a suspension.
Set to see off competition from Milan-owned Daniel Maldini to support Francesco Caputo in attack, Nicolo Cambiaghi has attempted the most shots without scoring in Serie A this season (34). Since netting in three consecutive matches last May, the Atalanta loanee has endured a 21-game goal drought.
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Caprile; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Walukiewicz, Luperto; Marin, Grassi, Maleh; Baldanzi; Cambiaghi, Caputo
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Gabbia, Hernandez; Adli, Reijnders; Pulisic, Loftus-Cheek, Leao; Giroud
We say: Empoli 0-2 AC Milan
Everything points to a Milan win at the Castellani, where they have never been beaten in Serie A. With Empoli consistently coming up short in the final third, the Rossoneri should stride to victory and keep within striking distance of both Inter and Juve.
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Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
