Milan-Empoli 0-0
THE CHRONICLE
A penalty given then taken away, a goal awarded then disallowed.
A Milan seduced and then abandoned, the one that wants to take advantage of Inter's draw in Salerno and has to settle for a 0-0 home draw with Empoli.
It is a Rossoneri monologue, at the Scala del calcio, but the acuteness that is worth the victory is missing.
At the start, Pioli chooses the turnover and lines up at the start with Saelemaekers, Pobega and Rebic in trocar close to Origi, with Thiaw in defense in place of Kjaer.
THE SERIES CLASSIFICATION AND
THE PROGRAM FOR THE 29TH DAY
Five news on the pitch, three important ones on the bench.
Giroud, Diaz and Leao sitting next to each other but with the biggest smile for the Lusitanian, who in the last few hours seems to have received an assist from Lille in the renewal match.
And if the Portuguese press assures that the French club should pay the debt with Sporting Lisbon, it was Massara himself who spoke before the start: "There are complexities, we are facing them, in the hope of finding a solution by the end of the season".
Good intentions, Milan translate them on the pitch.
With a start that immediately sees Calabria create an opportunity, but above all Perisan prove decisive in the 12th minute: first he puts his body to say no to Rebic, caught in the area by Saelamaekers, then on Theo Hernandez in the development of the action.
Empoli doesn't stand by and Zanetti, back from zero points in the last three away games, chooses close quarters and two-touch counters to withstand the impact.
The guests looked for inspiration in the 0-1 draw at San Siro on 23 January, against Inter, and they showed they were able to feel good in the match.
Pobega (the last time he was a starter on 14 January in the away match in Lecce) works well as a low play, the Tuscans remain closed and relax starting from behind with Parisi on one side (already on the eve,
the player with the most meters running ball and chain in A) and Ebuehi on the other.
Who, however, must beware of the gusts of Theo Hernandez, with an improbable blue hair for his son's first birthday: the Frenchman is not a smurf, but neither is he the usual giant in the band.
And the start of the second half brought no news: in the 3rd minute Rebic's header didn't hit the target, then Pobega's left foot deflected for a corner inaugurating four shots from the flag in a few minutes.
Empoli lowers and on a new cross Ebuehi jumps wildly, apparently touching with an arm which however the Var denies.
Penalty given and taken away, then the best chance with Florenzi's right foot: crushed right foot that bounces off the outside post, with Perisan still placed.
On the other hand, Luperto first and then De Winter are needed to say no to Saelemakers' shot and Giroud's two-step rejection.
Empoli saves itself again thanks to Perisan, a providential low exit on Diaz on Giroud's heel who puts him in front of goal.
San Siro exploded one minute from the end, when Giroud anticipated De Winter on Florenzi's cross and put it in, but using his arm: goal disallowed and the result remained 0-0.
And that doesn't change even in the final assault during the maxi recovery.
