The in-form Empoli will play hosts to AC Milan this Wednesday night as ninth meets third with the home side looking to continue their excellent form just as Stefano Piloli’s men aim to close the gap on rivals Inter Milan.
It seems as if all title competitors in this four-horse race in Serie A have hit a bit of a roadblock in recent times, besides that of the champions and still league leaders, Inter. Napoli fell a few weeks back to Empoli and then Atalanta, while the Bergamo side recently crumbled too, just as Milan fell to a defeat in the vital visit of Napoli.
📺 Sotto i nostri tifosi al Picco 💪👊👏 pic.twitter.com/WO03OF0ACH— Empoli Fc Official (@EmpoliCalcio) December 20, 2021
📺 Sotto i nostri tifosi al Picco 💪👊👏 pic.twitter.com/WO03OF0ACH
It now leaves Pioli’s men trailing their local rivals by five points ahead of Christmas, and a win here is absolutely crucial for them if they want to keep the gap within touching distance ahead of 2022.
Milan have now not won a game since beating Salernitana back on December 4th, thanks to goals from Franck Kessie and Alexis Saelmaekers that day.
It was Kessie who was involved again recently as his goal was controversially ruled out against Napoli, which forced their title challengers to steal all three points from the San Siro.
Prior to this, a lacklustre 1-1 draw with this season’s giant killers Udinese was played out as Zlatan Ibrahimovic secured a point for his side in the dying seconds.
Milan still remain one of the sides to beat in the Serie A, however, and their recent crumble only leaves them level on points with Napoli and two ahead of Atalanta. What's more, it does still seem that if somebody is to finish above them in the table this season, they are likely to be the title winners.
As for Empoli, it’s been a magnificent few months for the Tuscany side who now sit ninth in the table a point behind Lazio and just four off Roma, Fiorentina, and Juventus, who occupy positions from fifth down to seventh, respectively.
The season started off in torrid form for Empoli who looked as if another relegation-fighting campaign was in store for them.
However, they've managed to avoid season-defining winless streaks and win a game in Serie A at least once every three games since beating Juventus back in August and the club now boast a fantastic record of eight wins, seven defeats, and three draws.
Nevertheless, Milan are still title challengers and they should return to winning ways here and Forebet predicts them to win in a game that will see over 2.5 goals.