Milan eked out a dramatic 1-0 home win over Napoli on Tuesday evening to take control of their blockbuster Champions League quarter-final tie. An intense encounter at San Siro could’ve gone either way, as both sides had their chances, but the Rossoneri came out on top.
With Napoli set to steal Milan’s crown in Serie A this season despite an embarrassing 4-0 H2H loss earlier in April, the Rossoneri were out to repay the favor in front of a sold-out San Siro. But it wasn’t a dream start for the home team by any stretch of the imagination.
Napoli needed less than 50 seconds into the game to create a golden opportunity to take an early lead. However, with Mike Maignan caught off guard, Rade Krunic pulled off a vital goal-line clearance to block Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s attempt from point-blank. A few minutes later, Milan got away again as Giovanni Di Lorenzo failed to direct his free header on target.
Milan couldn’t gain a foothold in early proceedings. Maignan had to produce a stunning diving save to deny Piotr Zielinski’s thunderous long-range attempt in the 12th minute and help his side endure the siege. But Stefano Pioli was seemingly frustrated with his side’s sluggish start to the match.
Rafael Leao almost put a smile back on his manager’s face in the 25th minute after a breathtaking solo run. The sought-after forward breezed past two Napoli players to break one-on-one with Alex Meret but failed to hit the target from a promising position. It was a sign of things to come, though.
Brahim Diaz’s moment of brilliance to get rid of his markers opened a deadly counter-attack for Milan in the 40th minute. Leao picked the ball on the edge of the box after the Spaniard’s blistering run down the middle of the pitch and delivered an assist to Ismael Bennacer, who slotted home a devastating first-time finish to send San Siro into raptures.
Milan could’ve entered the dressing room with a two-goal cushion. Simon Kjaer outjumped his marker to connect with Sandro Tonali’s corner-kick delivery on the stroke of halftime, but he could only hit the crossbar.
Madness in Milan ?❤️#UCL pic.twitter.com/zj32WH9oKj
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 12, 2023
Napoli were inches away from restoring parity only five minutes into the second half. Elif Elmas headed Khvicha’s cross goalwards, but Maignan tipped the ball over the bar to prevent an equalizer. These were the scary moments for Milan, who again had to fight tooth and nail to fend off their visitors’ relentless pressure.
The absence of marquee striker Victor Osimhen blunted Napoli’s attacking edge, helping Milan hold onto their lead with relative comfort despite struggling to get on the ball. Pioli’s side barely had sight of Meret’s goal as they were seemingly content with defending their advantage before Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s moment of madness put the wind into their sails.
It took the Cameroon international only three minutes to garner two bookings, leaving his team a man down in the final 15 minutes. His expulsion changed the dynamics, letting Milan enjoy more possession and neutralize Napoli’s attacking threats. The Rossoneri still needed more Maignan heroics to weather the storm. The Frenchman made another diving save to stop Di Lorenzo’s effort from inside the box in the 86th minute.
Despite keeping hold of their slender lead, Milan cannot take anything for granted ahead of the return leg at the Diego Maradona Stadium.
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