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Milan secured a crucial 2-0 victory away at Empoli, keeping their Champions League hopes alive. It was a more challenging game than expected, but second-half goals from Leao and new signing Gimenez—his first for the club—made the difference. The match was also defined by two red cards, with Tomori and Marianucci both sent off, the latter's mistake proving costly for the home side.
Empoli started strong, causing problems for a disorganized Milan in the first half. Grassi and Colombo came close to scoring, but the Rossoneri defense held firm, with the post also denying the home team. Unhappy with his team’s performance, Conceição made bold changes at halftime, bringing on Leao, Pulisic, and Gimenez to inject more energy into the attack. The impact was immediate: Milan played higher up the pitch and pressed relentlessly.
The turning point came in the 55th minute when Tomori, already on a yellow, made a late challenge on Colombo and received his second booking. With Milan down to ten men, Empoli had a golden opportunity. However, just ten minutes later, Marianucci foolishly retaliated after a clash with Gimenez, earning a straight red and putting his team back on level terms numerically.
From that moment, Milan took full control. In the 68th minute, Pulisic delivered a pinpoint cross, and Leao rose to head home the opener. Empoli struggled to react, and Milan capitalized again: Pulisic played a perfect through ball to Gimenez, who dribbled past Goglichidze and slotted past Vasquez to seal the victory.
A crucial win for Milan, closing the gap on Juventus and keeping their top-four hopes alive. Meanwhile, Empoli extends their winless streak, leaving them in trouble in the relegation battle.
