AC Milan cruised to a 3-0 victory over Empoli on Saturday, cutting the gap to the Serie A European spots to just three points.
Alvaro Morata ended a two-month goal drought with a clinical finish, while Tijjani Reijnders netted a brace—one in each half—as Milan secured a comfortable win under the foggy skies of San Siro.
Milan remain in seventh place with 22 points, three behind Juventus, who occupy the Conference League spot and face struggling Lecce on Sunday. Empoli, who entered the match with Serie A’s fourth-best defense, stay 10th after a fifth consecutive loss to Milan at the San Siro.
Despite the win, Reijnders insisted Milan’s ambitions extend beyond mere European qualification. “Of course, we’re thinking about the title, because we want to fight for it. The position we’re in now is not where we want to be,” the midfielder told DAZN, ahead of next weekend’s trip to high-flying Atalanta.
Milan’s win was especially important after last weekend’s disappointing 0-0 draw against Juventus, which saw them booed off the pitch by the 68,000 fans who braved the cold and foggy conditions at San Siro. But this time, the Rossoneri came out with purpose, and Morata fired them ahead in the 19th minute, striking his fourth goal of the season after a slick team move.
The game was effectively decided just before halftime, when Reijnders lashed in a powerful first-time shot to make it 2-0. The Dutch midfielder sealed the win in the second half with a dynamic run and finish, taking his tally for the season to six goals.
“We were very good both going forward and in defense,” said Milan manager Paulo Fonseca. “We won 3-0, but we had enough chances to win by six or seven.”
Despite the result, Milan still face an uphill climb to secure a top-four finish. They are six points off the Champions League spots, with leaders Napoli a further point ahead.
Meanwhile, in the day’s other fixtures, Como and Monza played out a 1-1 draw, leaving both sides mired in the relegation zone, while Bologna face bottom club Venezia in the evening.
AFP
