EMPOLI v AC MILAN: THE DEBRIEFING

Let's rewind the tape and isolate the good things to come out of Empoli v AC Milan. The final score read 3-0, and breaking it down gives credit to the team and the individuals on show in the lunchtime game at the Castellani. Here is our Debriefing of matchday 19 in Serie A:

FLASHES OF CONSISTENCY
Victory and a clean sheet is always the perfect combination. An away win hadn't arrived since the beginning of October (Genoa) and this was the third clean sheet in four league games since Monza (Monza, Sassuolo and Empoli). At the halfway point, AC Milan have consolidated third place in the table, increasing their advantage from the pack trying to get into the Champions League zone to seven points. 39 points from 19 fixtures: despite some hiccups, the overall perspective should not be negative. Reporting a record: no other team has a better record than the Rossoneri's 21 goals in the first half and the general tendency to score first before the opponents. It is very important to carry on this precious period after beating Sassuolo and Cagliari to try and string a run together. The next few days will be tiring, the upcoming fixtures tricky: Atalanta in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals - a straight knockout tie - and then Roma, both at San Siro. AC Milan will be ready, recharged and confident.

GIROUD AND LOFTUS-CHEEK, BOTH ON THE SCORESHEET
It's been almost a month without scoring (Atalanta), and he had a big miss from the spot this season (Borussia Dortmund), but Olivier Giroud got back to scoring ways and this is certainly at the top of the best news list. By tucking away his penalty to make double the Rossoneri's lead, Olivier reached ten goals in total - in double figures for the 14th season in a row, the only player to do so in Europe's top-five leagues from 2010/11 to today - and proved vital once again for the team after assists against Monza and Salernitana. The pair of forwards available to Coach Pioli have probably never been in such good shape, given that Jović is also in fine form. Speaking of returning to the scoresheet, Loftus-Cheek's finish, his first since the end of September (Cagliari), has been missing for a long time. His performance was excellent, even winning the penalty and coming close to scoring a second. When Ruben manages to be decisive, not just offensively, the difference is felt.

FROM HERNÁNDEZ TO TRAORÈ
Two crucial areas must be highlighted to round up our analysis: the role of Hernández and the hard effort from our younger players. Theo's exceptional work as a central defender risks not being dazzling enough. On an emergency basis since Frosinone, apart from against Monza, he is proving to be fully at ease and at the point of having fun. He has raised concentration levels, and showing application, character and leadership. It's almost been a kind of blessing. In defence, the Rossoneri ended the game with Jiménez - on his official Serie A debut - and Bartesaghi out wide. They are both from the class of 2005. But it is Traorè's goal, his first in the top-flight and second on the trot, after the one in the Coppa Italia,  that really gives an idea of the precious support that the boys promoted from the Primavera side are providing; also not forgetting the rise of Simić and the recent opportunity given to Zeroli. The emergency within the squad made their call-ups necessary, but having them involving and lining up was not a given, and it proudly represents an extra string to the first team's bow.

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