AC Milan cruise past Empoli to eye Euro spots

AC Milan swept past Empoli 3-0 on Saturday to cut the gap separating them from Serie A's European places to three points.

Alvaro Morata's first league goal in over two months and fine strikes in each half from Tijjani Reijnders were enough for Milan to claim a straight-forward win at a foggy San Siro.

Milan stay seventh on 22 points, three behind Juventus who sit in the Conference League position and are at struggling Lecce on Sunday.

Paulo Fonseca's side have a game in hand but are six points off the top four and a further point behind league leaders Napoli ahead of their trip north to Torino on Sunday afternoon.

Empoli, who began the match with the league's fourth best defence, stay 10th after failing to score against Milan at the San Siro for the fifth straight match.

Saturday's win brightened the mood of the 68 000 Milan fans who braved the chilly conditions and poor visibility due to fog which at times, particularly in the first half, blanketed the pitch and stands.

Milan were loudly booed off the field after their drab goalless draw with Juve last weekend but the hosts were quickly into Empoli and never looked back once Morata lashed in his fourth goal of the season in the 19th minute.

Reijnders crashed in a first-time effort of his own on the stroke of halftime and then made sure of the points with a driving run and finish which took his goal tally for the season to six.

Como and Monza both stay in the relegation zone after playing out a 1-1 draw in the day's afternoon fixture, while later Bologna face rock-bottom Venezia.