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The Rossoneri’s attacking transitions have punished the Partenopei in recent games, and the side trailing will strive not to play into Milan’s hands again.
Luciano Spalletti’s annoyance after AC Milan defeated his Napoli side for the second time in 10 days seemed misdirected.
A Champions League 1-0 loss at San Siro meant the Partenopei had conceded five goals without reply against Stefano Pioli’s men in April, but they still have 90 minutes — perhaps 120 — to make it right.
That did not prevent the Tuscan from criticising Istvan Kovacs’s officiating and reprimanding the Napoli ultras, who staged a silent protest in the 4-0 defeat by Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 2.
The atmosphere inside San Siro last Wednesday was poles apart from what the home support provided earlier this month, prompting Spalletti to blurt: “If I see the same things in the second leg, I’ll pick up my things and go.”
It may have been different had Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring early on or had the away side netted one of their five shots at goal in the opening 10 minutes of the match.
Of course, Spalletti is within his rights to rue his team’s finishing on the day — they had chances to go ahead and fashioned two opportunities late on to equalise despite being down to 10 men — criticise Kovacs’s officiating to hand two yellows to Andre Zambo Anguissa and book Min-jae Kim, who is also suspended for Tuesday’s game, and reprimand the fans’ previous absence of support, but the Azzurri must take extra care to limit Milan’s threat in transition.
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06:05 - 13.04.2023
Milan vs Napoli: Angry Spalletti berates 'unfair' red card after Champions League defeat
For the second consecutive match, Milan have proved a hard nut to crack for runaway Serie A leaders Napoli.
A look at the five goals the Rossoneri have scored in 180 minutes against Napoli underscores the seven-time European champions’ menace on the counterattack, with three of those goals originating from such situations.
We look at these goals in detail.
Napoli 0-1 Milan (Rafael Leao)
After Giovanni Simeone missed an opportunity to put the Partenopei ahead, the away side stunned the Maradona moments later through last year’s Serie A Most Valuable Player Rafael Leao.
As the play developed, Mario Rui and Stanislav Lobotka appeared to have Brahim Diaz cornered with nowhere to go…
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…but the attacking midfielder loses both players with his quick feet, and Leao (circled) already recognises the space behind Napoli's defence.
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The pass is played, and the Portugal international finishes with aplomb to put the visitors in front.
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Napoli 0-3 Milan (Leao)
The Rossoneri’s third in that 4-0 triumph came about after another fast break.
After Sandro Tonali dispossesses Piotr Zielinski in midfield…
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…the Italian releases the wide attacker, isolated with centre-back Amir Rrahmani, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo caught upfield…
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…and Leao fires past Alex Meret before the Napoli captain double-teams him, with Rrahmani still unsettled.
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Milan 1-0 Napoli (Ismael Bennacer)
The goal that won last week’s game at San Siro was another moment in which Pioli’s team punished the side from Naples through a quick break.
After Diaz escapes from Lobotka and Mario Rui, Milan have a five-v-three advantage as the Napoli players desperately scramble back towards their goal…
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…the Spaniard plays the pass to Leao, with Bennacer (circled) darting into the penalty area undetected...
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…and the Portuguese sends the ball to Bennacer, whose low shot beats Meret.
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Interestingly, Milan had threatened a few minutes earlier with Leao, who singlehandedly created the opening.
When the Milan wide attacker received possession from Tonali...
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...he proceeded with an aggressive ball carry, driving between Zambo Anguissa and Rrahmani…
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…with Kim already looking terrified.
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However, the Rossoneri star’s shot misses the target.
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Napoli probably deserved more on the balance of the chances created at San Siro when it was 11-v-11 and after they had Anguissa sent off. Di Lorenzo forced the game’s best save from Mike Maignan late on, while Mathias Olivera’s header missed the target almost a minute later.
That success for Milan ended a run of six consecutive away wins in this fixture in all competitions, with Pioli’s team heading to the Maradona seeking a semi-final berth for the first time since 2007, when they ended up claiming their seventh European crown.
The Rossoneri boss believes the tie is in the balance despite their first-leg victory, but their menace in transition, especially with Napoli chasing the game, gives Milan more chances to hurt the Partenopei with quick breaks on Tuesday.
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18:59 - 17.04.2023
Pioli—’Milan won’t change for Osimhen’
Milan are set to face Napoli for the second leg of the Champions League at the Estadio Diego Armando Maradona Stadium after securing a 1-0 advantage in the first leg.
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18:54 - 11.04.2023
UCL Leao v Kvaratskhelia II: Can the Napoli superstar respond in Milan?
Upstaged by the AC Milan man on April 2, the Georgian could strike back at San Siro in the second of three meetings this month.
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