March 12, (THEWILL) – A 1-0 win over Empoli at San Siro saw AC Milan go five points clear at the top of Serie A. Pierre Kalulu’s stunning goal settled a tense contest for the hosts before city rivals and second-placed defending champions Inter Milan play on Sunday.
Kalulu, a French defender, scored a magnificent first-half goal for the Rossoneri, who limited Empoli to just one shot in the first 45 minutes of a dominant performance.
Alessandro Florenzi’s curling effort was saved by Guglielmo Vicario, and Milan came near again when the ball ricocheted off Sandro Tonali and trickled wide.
Kalulu’s goal came from an opportunity on the edge of the area in the 19th minute, shooting home with his left instep after the ball was deflected to him.
Within five minutes of the restart, though, Mike Maignan was forced to make two saves, first putting Sebastiano Luperto’s header around the post and then punching Nedim Bajrami’s goal-bound corner away.
For much of a dreary second half in which chances were few, Milan’s efforts were limited to two feeble Junior Messias shots, both of which were routinely saved by Vicario.
Milan’s strong defensive performance, on the other hand, was enough to give them the win and enhance their position in one of Europe’s tightest title competitions.
Even though the visitors improved after the break, they were unable to create clear-cut chances against the title contenders, and Milan came away with a crucial three points from a tight match. Stefano Pioli’s side now have breathing room at the top of Serie A, while Empoli remain winless in 2022.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
