Fresh from a stunning victory over runaway leaders Napoli on Sunday evening, the hosts looked full of confidence during a one-sided opening 20 minutes, with Ante Rebic and Theo Hernandez both seeing early strikes thwarted by Samuele Perisan.
Having weathered the early Milan storm, Empoli - urged by coach Paolo Zanetti to “make a good impression” prior to kick-off, gradually grew into the contest, although Perisan had to be on his toes to deny a curled effort from Sandro Tonali.
With the scores level at the interval, Milan looked to up the ante during the early stages of the second half, however wasteful finishing from Rebić and Tommaso Pobega continued to frustrate the home faithful.
Conscious of the growing unrest in the stands, a mood that was only heightened when the hosts were denied a penalty by VAR, Milan boss Stefano Pioli introduced Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao in the hope of breaking through Empoli’s staunch rearguard.
Despite the Rossoneri utilising the full range of their star-studded squad, the visitors refused to buckle with time ticking into the final 15 minutes, as Alessandro Florenzi fired a sharp volley against the base of the post.
With two minutes remaining, Milan thought their exhaustive search for a late winner had finally hit the jackpot, however Giroud’s strike was correctly disallowed for handball, much to the relief of Zanetti’s side who held firm to secure a courageous point.
The disappointing result for the hosts sees Milan remain third in SA, two points clear of fifth-placed Roma, while Empoli’s reward for a valiant performance is a comfortable 13-point cushion over the relegation places.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Koni De Winter (Empoli)
