AC Milan’s inability to hold onto a lead cost them badly once again in Tuscany as they failed to make the most of an early opener and were pegged back by Empoli in a 1-1 draw.
In just five games this season, it is already the third occasion that the Diavolo have been unable to hold on after hitting the front in a game and leaves them with serious issues to resolve and little time to do so.
That brings Milan’s dropped points count for the campaign from winning positions to five, after letting go of a 2-0 second half lead away to Napoli and twice surrendering advantages at home to Atalanta last time out.
Those defensive frailties that have been the hallmark of Milan’s season, so much so that in his pre-match press conference Gattuso claimed that he isn’t even comfortable with a two-goal lead – something you can’t blame him for after collapses against Napoli and Atalanta.
They gave themselves the perfect footing to pick up three points in Tuscany when Lucas Biglia fired them into an early lead but the heroics of opposition goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano, coupled with the Rossoneri’s own profligacy, and a late Francesco Caputo penalty condemned them to their third successive draw.
A late injury to Gonzalo Higuain, one that has left coach Gennaro Gattuso determined to find the mole in his camp who leaked the information on Wednesday, coupled with the fact that Patrick Cutrone was only fit enough for a place on the bench meant the trip to Tuscany had the potential to be a real banana skin.
Diego Laxalt was given a rare opportunity to impress and show that he can rival Ricardo Rodriguez for a place in the side and the Uruguayan made the most of it to get forward and send in a cross which wasn’t properly cleared, allowing the ex-Lazio man to thrash high into the net from the edge of the area.
Given the coach’s merited concerns about his side’s defending, you always felt the home side would have a chance as long as it remained at one and they almost made the most of an opportunity on the half hour mark when Ismael Bennacer set up Francesco Caputo, who was denied by the post, via an important Gianluigi Donnarumma stop.
Moments later, it was the turn of the goalkeeper at the other end to show off his own talents at Pietro Terracciano produced some fine stops to deny Giacomo Bonaventura and Franck Kessie, before making it a hat-trick before the break to deny Suso and keep his side in it.
Those saves proved all the more important when, after some rather low-key exchanges for much of the second half, the Azzurri were awarded a spot kick with 20 minutes remaining.
A defensive mix up at the back involving Alessio Romagnoli and Biglia resulted in the defender giving away a penalty and Caputo emphatically found the net to level proceedings.
Cutrone and Samu Castillejo were immediately thrown in as the Diavolo chased the game and Suso did bring a swift save out of Empoli hero Terracciano.
However, the Rossoneri couldn’t battle back to find a late winner, thanks to more Terracciano heroics, and the result leaves them on just six points from five games this season.
A BIG OPPORTUNITY MISSED
One man who didn’t take advantage of a rare chance in attack was Fabio Borini, who had an off colour first half and did little to show that he can step up in the absence of Gattuso’s favoured attackers.
A STAR IS BORN?
Aside from the briefest of stints with Catania previously, 28-year-old Empoli goalkeeper Terracciano had never truly tasted top flight football but showed the watching world that he is right at home at this level with a truly outstanding performance.
