Milan let a two-goal lead at halftime slip through their fingers as Napoli performed a second-half comeback to eke out a 2-2 draw in a nail-biting contest in southern Italy. Stefano Pioli’s men put on a fantastic first-half performance but inexplicably lost their footing after the break, wasting a massive chance to steady the ship.
Olivier Giroud’s first-half show fired Milan to a comfortable lead at the break as the veteran striker struck twice in the space of nine minutes to throw Napoli to their knees. Rossoneri had two more chances to put the game to bed before halftime but complacency got the better of them. And the reigning champions made them pay in the second half.
Matteo Politano and Giacomo Raspadori scored in quick succession to restore parity and inflict more pain on an out-of-form Milan.
Let’s look at our player ratings.
Milan (4-3-3)
Mike Maignan – 3.5
Took a massive risk when he left his area in the first half but got away with it. Fumbled a routine cross, which almost led to Napoli’s second. Raspadori’s goal was entirely his fault. His worst night in the Milan colors!
Davide Calabria – 7.5
Defending against Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is one of the most challenging tasks in Serie A, but the Milan captain made it look easy. What’s even more impressive is that his defensive duties didn’t come at the expense of his offensive aspirations, as witnessed by his assist for Giroud’s second.
Pierre Kalulu – 6
Looked calm and composed on the ball early on but suffered an early injury, forcing Pioli to take him off less than 20 minutes into the game.
Fikayo Tomori – 7
Of three Milan center-backs to have taken the field tonight, the Englishman was undoubtedly the most impressive one. Made numerous crucial tackles and interceptions to plug the holes left behind his teammates.
Theo Hernandez – 7.5
A vintage Theo performance! While there was room for improvement at the back, his attacking contribution was immense. Combined well with Leao on the left flank, creating all sorts of problems for Napoli in transition.
Rade Krunic – 7
Did well providing additional cover to his backline and kept his passes clean and precise.
Tijjani Reijnders – 6.5
Made a terrible choice to go for goal himself when Milan had a numerical advantage in front of Alex Meret before spurning a golden opportunity to make it 3-0 on the stroke of halftime. His overall performance was decent, but he must pay more attention to these details.
Yunus Musah – 7
His endless work ratio made Milan boss the midfield, especially in the first half. He was everywhere, winning back possession time and time again. Could’ve crowned his admirable effort with a goal, but Meret pulled off a massive save to thwart him late in the first half.
Christian Pulisic – 7
Must have picked up an injury as Pioli left him in the dressing room at halftime following a jaw-dropping first-half performance. Napoli couldn’t take the ball away from his feet, while his excellent cross for Giroud’s second came as a fitting reward for a sterling display.
Rafael Leao – 6
At times, it looked like he didn’t get this match-up seriously. Completed some fancy dribbling and trademark runs down the flank but wasn’t nearly as decisive as he was at this venue last season.
Olivier Giroud – 8
What a striker! He is aging like a fine wine! Had a promising chance to open the scoring in the early moments, but his shot was blocked. However, he took the next two opportunities in a true ‘Giroud’ style. His headers were spot on!
Napoli Player Ratings Vs Milan: Politano And Raspadori Stunners Save the Day
Substitutes
Marco Pellegrino – 4
Completely out of his depth! A nightmarish Milan debut for the young gun!
Luka Romero – 5.5
Noah Okafor – 4.5
Had no impact on the game since coming on.
Luka Jovic – 5.5
Cleverly flicked the ball to the far post and was unlucky to miss out on an assist.
Alessandro Florenzi – N/A
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