Against Napoli, Milan rebounded from their dipping form, winning with a dramatic one-touch goal by Olivier Giroud. Defenders on both sides had great performances, with Amir Rrahmani and Pierre Kalulu both impressing with their physicality and defensive ability. On offense, Napoli’s front three struggled to create chances, while Milan relied Rafael Leao to spark opportunities.
Napoli
David Ospina – 7.5
Ospina was in fine form against Milan and kept his side in the match. Against the quick-shooting side, he made six saves and showed considerable reflexes.
Mario Rui – 8
In a more reserved role than his counterpart, the Portuguese international emphatically shut down Milan’s right wing. He made five tackles and ensured that Davide Calabria and Junior Messias were ineffective.
Amir Rrahmani – 8
On a day with many quality performances by centre-backs, Rrahmani perhaps stood out the most. He was dominant in the air, won several challenges and distributed the ball exceptionally.
Kalidou Koulibaly – 7
Despite an overall solid performance, Koulibaly was extremely fortunate not to receive a red card in the first half for a vicious foul on Giroud. The centre-back distributed the ball well for his side and showed his usual chemistry with Rrahmani.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6
The Italian played very wide for his side, trying to work play down the wings. However, he and the rest of the Azzurri attack struggled greatly to exploit space in the attacking third. On defense, Leao and Theo Hernandez overwhelmed him at times with their pace and creativity.
Stanislav Lobotka – 7
Lobotka played in various zones of the pitch for Napoli, and nearly all of his touches came in the middle third. He did well helping his side build their attacks from deep.
Fabian Ruiz – 7
Ruiz made significant contributions to both the offense and defense, especially in the first half. While Milan’s midfield restricted space, he kept his head up and was constantly looking to play the ball into space.
Lorenzo Insigne – 5.5
Insigne saw a lot of the ball, but the Rossoneri midfield restricted his ability to cut inside and make a run towards goal. He ended the match without registering a shot.
Piotr Zielinski – 5
Like Insigne, the midfielder was confounded by Milan’s double pivot, struggling to find the ball in dangerous areas. He was effectively shut off from connecting with the forwards, and his no-show was a key reason for Napoli’s offensive woes in the match.
Matteo Politano – 4.5
Politano was unable to generate significant creativity when he was on the ball. He managed just thirty touches for the game and did not connect with his fellow forwards.
Victor Osimhen – 7
Though he was Napoli’s most dangerous offensive player, the Nigerian failed to finish any of his chances. After making several threatening runs, he either lacked options in the box, or his final touch let him down.
Substitutes
Elif Elmas – 6
Coming on for Insigne, Elmas brought needed creativity into the front three, but it was not enough to change the final score.
Adam Ounas – 6.5
The French midfielder replaced Politano on wing and immediately helped improve the attack. However, his late addition did not allow Napoli to scrape a result.
Dries Mertens – N/A
Hirving Lozano – N/A
Andre-Frank Anguissa – N/A
Olivier Giroud struck a huge blow for AC Milan in the Serie A title race with the only goal in Sunday's 1-0 win at Napoli which fired his team top of the pile.
Read #AFPSports' Serie A update:https://t.co/bmy4SFNWGm pic.twitter.com/scvEcJHAKC
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 6, 2022
Milan
Mike Maignan – 6
Maignan’s backline protected him well and ensured that the goalkeeper did not have a busy day. The Frenchman looked to play the ball long a handful of times, but without much success.
Davide Calabria – 6.5
For much of the day, Calabria was unconvincing on offense and made multiple errors when in possession. However, his errant shot allowed Giroud to score the lone goal of the match in dramatic fashion.
Pierre Kalulu – 8
The young centre-back had one of his best days in red and black. He was active on defense, making several intelligent reads on the ball. Facing one of the best strikers in the world, Kalulu impressed and did not back down against Osimhen.
Fikayo Tomori – 7
Alongside his partner, Tomori did well in shutting down Osimhen, Politano and Insigne. The centre-back also ventured up the pitch and almost scored from a set piece.
Theo Hernandez – 8
Hernandez’s improving one-on-one defending shone against Politano on the wing. Late in the match, the left-back made a crucial tackle on Lozano in the box, and the left-back’s ability to drive the ball into the attacking third was hugely important.
Sandro Tonali – 6.5
Tonali had a quiet day, putting in a good defensive shift, though his distribution did not create many chances for his side.
Ismael Bennacer – 8
Bennacer turned in a fine performance as the key cog in the pivot. He restricted the space between the lines and nearly scored in the first half.
Franck Kessie – 5.5
Once again, Stefano Pioli decided to try Kessie in a more advanced position, and, once again, the attempt curbed Milan’s attack. The Rossoneri lacked creativity in attacking third, and the Ivorian was eventually returned to his more natural role.
Rafael Leao – 8
Without a true attacking midfielder, Milan needed a strong performance from Leao, and the Portuguese winger obliged. He put his impressive technical ability on show, creating space on the wing and in the box.
Junior Messias – 5
Messias was disappointing from the right-midfield position. He completed just 53% of his passes and was not active enough in the final third.
Olivier Giroud – 7
Giroud saw little of the ball, but he made Napoli pay when he got the chance. After Calabria took a hard shot that was flying off target, Giroud instinctively redirected the ball towards the goal like a hockey player. His intuition proved invaluable and gave Milan a much-needed victory in Naples.
Substitutes
Ante Rebic – 6
Replacing Giroud, Rebic helped reenergize Milan’s attack and created several late chances.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 5
After Rebic found him on a breakaway, Saelemaekers wasted Milan’s best chance of the match, rushing a one-on-one shot that flew over the crossbar.
Rade Krunic – N/A
Alessandro Florenzi – N/A
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – N/A