AC Milan’s Conceicao Satisfied with Bold Attacking Strategy in Empoli Victory Despite Red Card

AC Milan’s manager, Sergio Conceicao (50), expressed his satisfaction with his decision to “gamble” by continuing to pursue victory even after his side was reduced to ten men in their match against Empoli on Saturday.

Following a goalless first half, the Portuguese manager opted to introduce attacking talents Santiago Gimenez, Rafael Leao, and Christian Pulisic, just before Fikayo Tomori received his second yellow card in the 55th minute, leaving Milan a man down.

Empoli also found themselves a player short after Luca Marianucci was shown a straight red card, paving the way for Leao to break the deadlock with a header from a Pulisic assist in the 68th minute, while Gimenez secured a 2-0 victory eight minutes later.

“In that moment (after the red card), there was a temptation to replace a striker with a defender, but I chose against it,” Conceicao revealed to DAZN.

“I shifted (midfielder Yunus) Musah to the right, placed (right-back Kyle) Walker in central defence, and pushed Joao Felix a bit deeper. A draw in this situation feels like a loss for Milan, so I had to take the risk.

“With all due respect to Empoli’s aggressive and direct style, which shows they are well-trained, we were the superior team throughout the match and earned three crucial points.”

Conceicao lauded his new recruit Gimenez after the Mexican forward adapted well to the team’s attacking setup and netted his first goal for the club.

“Santi is a top-quality player; I had been monitoring him since my time at Porto,” he remarked.

“Quality emerges when players step outside their comfort zones to contribute to the success of the team. These little details can elevate everyone’s performance.

“When all the players grasp what needs to be done, everything becomes much simpler and more enjoyable for them. This is the brand of football I aspire to see.”

Currently sitting seventh in Serie A with 38 points, AC Milan will next face Feyenoord in the Champions League knockout play-offs on Wednesday.