Pulisic strike earns Milan maximum points against Empoli 

AC Milan defeated Emploi 1-0 courtesy of Christian Pulisic’s 40th-minute deflected strike at the San Siro to extend their unbeaten streak against the Gli Azzurri to eight wins.

Barley five minutes into the encounter at the, Empoli goalkeeper Elia Caprile was called into action, making a routine save at close range to deny Christian Pulisic.

Despite a promising start, Milan’s momentum dwindled for a while, until the 40th minute when Noah Okafor—who scored the late winner in Milan’s away victory over Lazio on March 1—set up Pulisic whose strike was deflected past Caprile off Luperto.

Despite trailing at halftime, Empoli failed to threaten the hosts who weren’t convincing themselves.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek did attempt to extend Milan’s lead with a powerful long-range effort, but his effort was denied by Caprile.

As the match wore on, Mattia Destro threatened to equalize with a header that struck the woodwork. Fortunately for Milan, the effort would have been disallowed for offside, but it served as a wake-up call for the hosts.

Stefano Pioli’s side remained resolute, thwarting Empoli’s late surge to secure their third consecutive victory across all competitions, and climb to second place on the log, while Empoli find themselves precariously positioned just one point above the relegation zone in 16th.