Reijnders shines through fog as Milan score Serie A win

Tijjani Reijnders has scored twice and helped AC Milan get back to winning ways in Serie A against visiting Empoli.

The Netherlands midfielder netted either side of halftime at a foggy San Siro on Saturday after Alvaro Morata opened the scoring.

The 3-0 victory keeps Milan in seventh, six points behind Atalanta, Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio — who are all locked on 28 points — and seven below league leaders Napoli.

Empoli are 10th, but only five points above the relegation zone.

In their last home match, Milan were heavily jeered by their fans after drawing with Juventus 0-0, and had won only one of their past four league matches.

The Rossoneri took the lead in the 19th minute. Rafael Leao's shot was blocked by Empoli defender Ardian Ismajli but ricocheted into the path of Morata on the left of the area and he volleyed into the bottom near corner.

Milan doubled their tally on the stroke of halftime when a cross was flicked on by Christian Pulisic and fell to Reijnders, who let it bounce before smashing it into the bottom left corner on the half volley.

Reijnders' second effectively sealed the result in the 69th. He latched onto a Youssouf Fofana through ball in midfield, raced forward, and fired past Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez, who is on loan from Milan.

"We played a great game against a team that is very aggressive defensively, which has the fourth-best defence in the championship," AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca said.

"We scored three goals but could have scored six or seven if we hadn't made the wrong last choices."

Elsewhere, Como and Monza remain mired in the relegation zone after a hard-fought derby that finished 1-1.

Como inched level on points with 17th-placed Genoa, with Monza a point further back.

Yannik Engelhardt headed Como in front in the 36th and Gianluca Caprari levelled from the spot early in the second half after Nico Paz was penalised for handball.

Venezia stayed bottom after a fourth straight defeat, this time 3-0 at Bologna. Dan Ndoye scored twice for the hosts, including a penalty, and Riccardo Orsolini also converted a spot kick.

With Reuters.