January 07, (THEWILL) – AC Milan enhanced their chances of a top-two Serie A finish after a comfortable 3-0 away victory against struggling Empoli on Sunday. 19-year-old Ivorian winger, Chaka Traore, came off the bench to score his second Milan goal, after also netting in the club’s 4-1 Coppa Italia win over Cagliari last Tuesday.
Traore’s 88th-minute goal rounded off the scoring after earlier strikes from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud. The win closes the gap to second-placed Juventus to just four points, as Stefano Pioli’s side claimed their third league victory in four matches.
Loftus-Cheek opened the scoring in the 11th minute after a driving run and cut-back from Rafael Leao. Giroud then doubled Milan’s advantage from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark, after Youssef Maleh was adjudged to have handled the ball following a Giroud acrobatic attempt.
Despite chances for Nicolo Cambiaghi and Tommaso Baldanzi, Empoli struggled to mount a comeback as Milan controlled proceedings in the second half. The home side’s winless league run now stretches to seven games, and they remain 19th in the Serie A table.
Traore then sealed an impressive away victory with a composed low finish after bursting through on goal following a quick counterattack. The result leaves Milan well-positioned to contest for a UEFA Champions League place.
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.
