MILAN — Tijjani Reijnders scored two goals, leading AC Milan to a solid 3-0 victory against Empoli in Serie A on Saturday, marking a return to form for the team.
Reijnders struck once in each half at San Siro, which was shrouded in fog, following an initial goal from Álvaro Morata. Despite the win, Milan maintained its position in seventh place, trailing behind Atalanta, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio, all of whom have amassed 28 points. They find themselves seven points behind the league leaders, Napoli.
Empoli entered the match in tenth place, sitting just five points above the relegation zone. In their previous home game, Milan faced heavy criticism from fans after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Juventus, having secured just one victory in their last four matches in the league.
The first goal came in the 19th minute when Rafael Leão’s attempt was deflected by Empoli’s Ardian Ismajli, allowing Morata to volley the ball into the bottom corner from the left side of the area. Just before halftime, Milan extended its lead; after Christian Pulisic flicked on a cross, Reijnders took advantage of the opportunity, letting the ball bounce before firing it into the bottom left corner on the half volley.
Empoli showed determination at the start of the second half, nearly scoring when Youssef Maleh hit the crossbar with a powerful shot. However, Reijnders found the net again in the 69th minute, collecting a through ball from Youssouf Fofana in midfield before advancing and shooting past Empoli’s Devis Vásquez, who is currently on loan from Milan.
In the ongoing relegation battle, Como and Monza played to a 1-1 draw in a closely contested derby. Como managed to level on points with 17th-placed Genoa, while Monza is trailing them by one point. Yannik Engelhardt put Como ahead in the 36th minute, but Gianluca Caprari equalized early in the second half with a penalty kick after Nico Paz was penalized for handling the ball.
As the match approached stoppage time, both teams had opportunities to claim victory; Milan Djuric struck the outside of the right post for Monza, while Andrea Belotti’s header for Como narrowly missed the target.
Meanwhile, bottom-placed Venezia was scheduled to play against Bologna later in the evening.
