Starting a lineup rife with reserves, Milan squandered a strong performance by Sandro Tonali in a scoreless draw with Empoli. Surprisingly, neither Charles De Ketelaere nor Brahim Diaz started the match, as Stefano Pioli instead deployed Tonali alongside Ismael Bennacer and Tommaso Pobega in the midfield.
Mike Maignan – 7
Even though Empoli literally managed only one shot, Maignan impressed. He came out of the box confidently and, as usual, distributed the ball exceptionally well.
Davide Calabria – 7
After an early mistake, the full-back quickly settled into the match. Facing off with the talented Filippo Bandinelli and Fabiano Parisi on the wing, Calabria held his own, neutralizing the two and rerouting Empoli’s attack through the centre of the pitch.
Fikayo Tomori – 6.5
In the first half, Tomori had trouble with the movement of Roberto Piccoli and Francesco Caputo. The pair of strikers bypassed the defender more than once, but they never seriously threatened to score.
Malick Thiaw – 7
While Tomori bore the brunt of Empoli’s attack, Thiaw had much less to do. The defender made just one tackle as he continues to grow into Pioli’s system.
Theo Hernandez – 7.5
Milan’s offense flowed through Hernandez on the left wing. The wing-back was the centerpiece to nearly every Rossoneri attack, as he constantly progressed the ball forward and created chances with intelligent passing.
Tommaso Pobega – 5
The former Torino loanee played one brilliant ball over the top, but his performance was otherwise forgettable. The fact that Pobega is now earning minutes over CDK is a worrying sign of the Belgian’s lack of progress.
Sandro Tonali – 8
Tonali was the only consistent performer for the Rossoneri in the midfield. His presence was felt on both sides of the ball, as he won a crucial slide tackle in the box and set up multiple shots in the attacking third.
Ismael Bennacer – 4.5
While Brahim rested for Milan’s upcoming Champions League clash, De Ketelaere surprisingly did not take his place. So, the onus of running the attacking midfield fell to Bennacer, who still does not seem comfortable in the role. Though a great player, the Algerian lacks the skill and pace that the position demands, and the attack struggled as a result.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 7.5
After scoring a wonderful technical goal last time out, the Belgian deservedly earned the start on the right wing. He was perhaps the most dynamic player on the pitch, ripping ambitious shots and creating chances in the box for his fellow attackers.
Ante Rebic – 5
For the first time in a month, Rebic returned to the starting eleven. Though he played as the left winger, the Croatian operated chiefly in the interior of the pitch, where he struggled to influence the match.
Divock Origi – 3.5
In a match where he struggled to even get on the ball, Origi’s terrible showing highlighted Milan’s serious lack of depth at forward. With its two stars (Giroud and Zlatan) bother older than 35, where can the club turn when they inevitably have injury problems? Origi? Rebic?
Empoli with a spectacular performance here pic.twitter.com/ofNneDfPp7
— Siavoush Fallahi (@SiavoushF) April 7, 2023
Substitutes
Brahim Diaz – 7
In the wake of his fantastic showing against Napoli, Diaz instantly energized the Milan attack as he replaced Bennacer in the number ten slot.
Alessandro Florenzi – 8
Like Diaz, Florenzi’s introduction galvanized Milan’s play on the right wing, with the defender looking to cross the ball into the box whenever possible. He seemingly picked up the game-winning assist, but VAR ultimately overturned the goal.