AC Milan’s Olivier Giroud scores his aspect’s second purpose from the penalty spot throughout the Serie A soccer match between Empoli and AC Milan at the Renato Castellani stadium in Empoli, Italy, on Jan. 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP
Olivier Giroud took his purpose tally into double figures for the 14th season in a row as he helped AC Milan to a 3-0 win at relegation-threatened Empoli in Serie A on Sunday for the Rossoneri’s first away win in three months.
Giroud doubled Milan’s lead from the penalty spot in the primary half following Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s opener. Teenager Chaka Traorè sealed the win late on after a strong run from United States worldwide Christian Pulisic.
Third-placed Milan moved 4 factors behind Juventus and 9 under league chief Inter Milan. The Nerazzurri beat Hellas Verona 2-1 on Saturday, whereas Juventus was taking part in at Salernitana later Sunday — the identical workforce it beat 6-1 in the Italian Cup three days in the past.
Roma was additionally taking part in later, towards Atalanta.
Empoli remained second-to-last in Serie A, two factors from security.
Both Milan and Napoli had size damage lists and their issues grew worse as every misplaced a participant in the primary half with house defender Tyronne Ebuehi and Rossoneri counterpart Alessandro Florenzi each going off with obvious muscular points.
Milan began brightly and took the lead in the eleventh minute as Rafael Leão burst down the left and rolled the ball throughout for an unmarked Loftus-Cheek to fit into the underside proper nook.
The Rossoneri had been dominating and had the prospect to double their lead in the thirty first minute after Empoli midfielder Youssef Maleh dealt with Loftus-Cheek’s hopeful overhead kick.
Giroud had missed his final spotkick — towards Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in November — however made no mistake this time, albeit with a considerably dangerous penalty that went in off the underside of the crossbar.
It was the veteran Frenchman’s tenth purpose for Milan in all competitions this season.
Milan’s depth dropped in the second half and it risked permitting Empoli again into the sport. But the guests wrapped up the match with two minutes remaining as Pulisic ran nearly all the size of the sphere earlier than laying the ball off to Traorè to calmly dispatch into the far nook.
It was the 19-year-old’s second purpose in as many matches — after he helped Milan beat Cagliari 4-1 in the Italian Cup on Tuesday — however his first in Serie A.
NIGHTMARE DEBUT
Pasquale Mazzocchi’s debut for Napoli lasted simply 4 minutes earlier than he was despatched off amid a horror present for the defending champion that noticed it lose 3-0 at Torino.
Mazzocchi, who joined from Salernitana two days in the past, was introduced on at halftime and moments later went sliding into a sort out on Valentino Lazaro with a excessive boot. The referee initially awarded a yellow card however after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor modified it to a straight purple.
Torino was already main following Antonio Sanabria’s strike at the top of the primary half and Nikola Vlašić doubled his workforce’s benefit nearly instantly.
Alessandro Buongiorno scored Torino’s third in the 66th, two minutes after Ivan Ilić hit the submit for the house workforce.
It was a fourth straight match with no win for Napoli — a run that features two league losses and being knocked out of the Italian Cup.
The defending champion slipped to ninth in the league, 5 factors under fourth-placed Fiorentina and one forward of Torino. It is 20 factors behind leaders Inter.
Lazio lower the hole to the highest 4 to 3 factors after profitable 2-1 at relegation-threatened Udinese.
