AC Milan vs. Empoli: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Matthew Barrera
Published Mar 23, 2026
AC Milan begin a manageable stretch in the calendar on Sunday against Empoli. The plan has to include three points.
If the Rossoneri have any desire of clinching a European spot, they have to start winning more than the odd game. They have not won two consecutive games since October.
The schedule is teed up nicely with games against Cesena, Chievo and Hellas Verona following the encounter with Empoli. All of these teams are hovering around the relegation zone, and they are perfect prey for Milan.
Date: February, Sunday 15
Time: 11:30 a.m. GMT/6:30 a.m. ET
Venue: San Siro
TV Info: BT Sport 2 (UK)/beIN Sports, Rai International (US and Canada)
Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect (US and Canada)
But things were not so easy the first time around. Milan tied Empoli away from home earlier in the season, and they were actually down 2-0 in that fixture. Fernando Torres scored his only goal for Milan in that game.
It was a long time ago.
| AC Milan's last 5 Serie A matches | |
| Milan vs. Parma | 3-1 |
| Lazio vs. Milan | 3-1 |
| Milan vs. Atalanta | 0-1 |
| Torino vs. Milan | 1-1 |
| acmilan.com | |
Now coach Pippo Inzaghi has little wriggle room. He cannot afford any more slip-ups against these lower-table clubs. Milan have shown they can beat clubs like Napoli, but the lesser lights of Serie A still prove harder to beat.
Empoli, however, are coming off a good spell. They battled hard to earn draws against Napoli, Inter and Roma, while also beating relegation rivals Cesena.
The Tuscan club is a plucky side with a lot of fighting spirit, and clubs in their position have won at San Siro before them. Atalanta and Sassuolo did it to Milan just last month.
| Empoli's last 5 Serie A matches | |
| Roma vs. Empoli | 1-1 |
| Empoli vs. Udinese | 1-2 |
| Empoli vs. Inter | 0-0 |
| Sampdoria vs. Empoli | 1-0 |
| acmilan.com | |
Predicted Lineups
AC Milan are still struggling with injuries, and Inzaghi will have to rely on a similar outfit to the one that lost at Juventus last weekend.
New signing Mattia Destro does return to the lineup, and he will likely get his second start with Milan between Jeremy Menez and Keisuke Honda.
Riccardo Montolivo and Nigel de Jong are still nursing injuries. While they are making a recovery, they may only make the bench. So it's likely up to Giacomo Bonaventura, Andrea Poli and Marco van Ginkel to handle the midfield duties.
The defence also has holes. After scoring his first goal in his second debut with Milan, Luca Antonelli looks set to cement the left-back role. Gabriel Paletta and Alex could pair up as centre-backs, and Adil Rami could play as a right-back out of necessity. Philippe Mexes is serving a suspension, Ignazio Abate is still out, while Mattia De Sciglio will likely miss the rest of the season with a foot injury.
Former Milan player Riccardo Saponara will not have the chance to play against his old squad as he contracted chickenpox, per Football Italia. But Milan youth product Simone Verde should get the start.
The reliable Massimo Maccarone is expected to start up front, with Mirko Valdifiori behind him and Daniele Rugani, who is the only player to start every single Serie A match for Empoli this season, standing in defence.
Players to Watch
Destro came to Milan on loan, and he has to make as quick an impression as possible if he wants to stay there.
Milan desperately need to find another source of goals, and Destro is supposed to be it. The Rossoneri have only scored five goals in their last five matches, and three of them came against last-placed Parma. They can't rely on Jeremy Menez to produce everything. It's time for Destro to prove that he is the modern striker that Milan have been missing since Inzaghi.
On the other side is Maccarone, the 35-year-old journeyman who has found his scoring boots.
Maccarone is coming off back-to-back games with goals, and he should fancy he chances against Milan's relatively uncomfortable back four. Alex and Paletta were slow against Juventus, and Maccarone could find seams between the two centre-backs.
Key Battle
The toughest battle starts and stops in the midfield. With a shaky midfield, Milan have not been able to control the play, and they give up possession far too often.
Expect Empoli to grind out the game and hit Milan on the counter-attack, which is one of the Rossoneri's biggest weakness.
Valdifiori has the ability to push forward, and Verdi is a decent attacking option as well. Empoli play like more of a team. They could soak up a lot of pressure and then strike as they did against Inter, when Empoli had 18 shots against the Nerazzurri.
Empoli: +400
Milan: -150
Draw: +260
Prediction: Milan 2 Empoli 1
