EMPOLI v AC MILAN: OPPONENT REVIEW

After qualifying for the Coppa Italia quarter-finals with a four-goal victory over Cagliari, AC Milan will play their first Serie A match of 2024 when they take on Empoli on the road. The Diavolo are the favourites both because of the two teams' league positions - they're separated by 23 points - and form. In 2023, across the top five European leagues, only Almería (24) have lost more matches than the Tuscan side (20). Looking at the current Serie A campaign, Empoli have fared particularly poorly at home: Andreazzoli's side have picked up the fewest amount of points (five) and scored the fewest number of goals (five).

Going into the clash, Empoli sit second bottom and ahead of only Salernitana, but the Azzurri will perhaps be comforted by a fact related to January: they've lost just one of the last eight top-flight matches with which they've kicked off a calendar year. This was a 1-0 home defeat to Inter (Marco Giampaolo was in the Empoli dugout) in 2016, with two wins and five draws completing the picture.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT DEFENSIVELY BUT THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Empoli have conceded the fifth-most goals in the division. Furthermore, they've allowed 293 shots at their goal, an average of 16.3 per game - the worst tally in the league. 94 of these shots have been on target, and only Salernitana (103) have done worse in this regard. Of the 30 goals Empoli have shipped, six have arrived from corners, more than any other team this campaign. In general, the Azzurri have conceded nine goals from dead ball situations; only Salernitana (10) have a worse record.

While Andreazzoli's side certainly have room for improvement defensively, their attitude can't be called into question. Indeed, the Azzurri have won 186 tackles, the second-highest number in the league behind Lecce (191). Empoli are also effective at pressing high up the pitch: they've made 142 attacking recoveries (when possession is won within a maximum of 40 metres of the opposition goal), the fifth most in Serie A in 2023/24.

CAMBIAGHI ON THE HUNT FOR HIS FIRST GOAL, AN IMPORTANT MILESTONE FOR CAPUTO
Empoli's strikers have struggled in front of goal this season, as reflected by the Azzurri's 'goals for' column: they've scored ten, the lowest tally in the league. Among the players yet to find the net is Nicolò Cambiaghi, who has had the most shots out of all those still looking to get on the scoresheet in Serie A this season. The Empoli winger scored in three consecutive games (against Salernitana, Bologna and Sassuolo) in May but has since gone 21 games without a goal.

Another man aiming to leave a mark in attack is Francesco Caputo, who is on the verge of making his 200th appearance in Serie A (he's played 199 matches so far) and has scored two league goals against AC Milan during his career (even if he hasn't got on the scoresheet in his last four encounters with the Rossoneri). And then there's Daniel Maldini, for whom the upcoming clash will no doubt be particularly special: he progressed through the AC Milan youth ranks and scored once in 15 Serie A appearances for the Rossoneri. On 5 November 2022, he also found the net against the Diavolo while wearing the Spezia shirt, one of the three goals he's bagged in the competition.

Match Kits, clothing, accessories, gift ideas and much more: visit the AC Milan online Store!