Serie A always saves the best till last and champions-elect Napoli host current champions Milan on Sunday night at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Luciano Spalletti will be hoping his side don’t allow complacency to creep in, in what is also a dress rehearsal for their Champions League quarter-final tie. The Rossoneri must improve if they are to finish in the top four this season and will be looking to pick up just their second win away from the San Siro in their last seven games.
Time and time again the Partenopei have been praised for their electric play this season and deservedly so. Napoli have been by far the best team in Serie A and are one of the best teams in Europe. They have suffered just two defeats throughout their entire league campaign thus far and have won a behemoth 23 games out of 27. Impressive but they aren’t quite there just yet.
However, the same cannot be said about visitors Milan who have struggled throughout the season. The Rossoneri beat city rivals Inter to the Scudetto last term by two points but they are in danger of not qualifying for the Champions League and currently sit in fourth. There has even been talk about Stefano Pioli being replaced come the end of the season and he will be waiting anxiously to hear whether Juventus get their 15 points back.
Preview
Napoli
The Azzurri have sat at the summit of the Serie A standings since matchday six and despite both of their losses coming since then, they have won every other match. The last time Napoli drew a game was back in August and 21 victories have followed thereafter.
Spalletti’s side recorded an emphatic 4-0 win away to Torino in their last fixture, as Victor Osimhen took his league tally for the term to 21 by scoring a brace. He also needs just one more goal to reach George Weah’s goal scoring tally in Serie A (46), who is also the leading African goalscorer in the history of the league. Of course, the offensive stars in Osimhen and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia have taken the plaudits but Napoli’s defense should also gain some recognition. They have let in just 16 goals in the league and their last six victories have all been secured without conceding.
Player to Watch: Kvicha Kvaratskhelia
Osimhen was the obvious choice and having scored four goals in his last two appearances for Napoli, he was in great form to cause havoc against a sloppy Milan defense. However, the Nigerian was unable to feature in the reverse fixture back in September and he will also miss out here after picking up a thigh injury on international duty. That means Kvaratskhelia will be the main offensive weapon and will look to score in what would be his third consecutive match in Serie A.
Milan
Coming off the back of a 3-1 defeat away to Udinese prior to the international break, Milan know that they need a much-improved performance in Naples here. The Rossoneri have registered just one win in their last five in all competitions and face a difficult task against a gleaming Napoli side.
The defense has been poor so far this term and having conceded 36 goals through 27 games in Serie A, Milan have the tied-worst defensive record in the top half. A switch to a three-man back line improved things for a short period of time in February but Pioli’s men have failed to keep things up. The thought is that the 57-year-old head coach will return to a four-man defense for Sunday’s game, hoping to improve their fortunes.
Player to Watch: Rafael Leao
Milan’s marquee player has been out of form of late and his last goal for the Rossoneri came back in January in a 2-2 draw away to Lecce. However, with it looking likely that Pioli will return to his old system, Leao should be able to prosper back out wide on the flank. The 23-year-old’s form is vital towards Milan’s hopes for the end of the season and if he can get back on track, the results will likely follow.
Preparing well for the season run-in ?#NapoliMilan #SempreMilan
Brought to you by @play_eFootball pic.twitter.com/uZjGGtCrMd— AC Milan (@acmilan) March 30, 2023
Team News
The Partenopei will be without Osimhen for Sunday’s blockbuster matchup due to a left thigh issue, which also leaves him in doubt for the first leg of the Champions League clash with Milan. Giacomo Raspadori has returned to full training and may even start in place of Osimhen. However, it may come too soon for the 23-year-old who last appeared back in February. Diego Demme and Bartosz Bereszynski are unlikely to feature as their recoveries resume.
As for Milan, big changes are expected. Firstly, the switch to a four-at-the-back system that could see captain Davide Calabria return to the starting lineup for the first time since the beginning of February. The thought is that Alessandro Florenzi could be deployed ahead of Calabria on the right flank too, in an attempt to combat the elite talents of ‘Kvaradona’.
Pierre Kalulu is out after picking up a calf injury on international duty so it looks like Simon Kjaer will return to the centre of defense ahead of Malick Thiaw to partner Fikayo Tomori. Theo Hernandez should return to the lineup after recovering from illness that kept him out of the Udinese match, whilst Junior Messias remains in doubt and has been training individually.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has also suffered yet another injury issue and is a big doubt for the game. Thankfully for the visitors, Olivier Giroud will be able to return after serving his suspension in the last match.
Napoli vs Milan Potential Lineups
Napoli (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Kim Min-jae, Mathias Olivera; Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa; Stanislav Lobotka, Piotr Zielinski; Hirving Lozano, Giacomo Raspadori, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia
Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Sandro Tonali, Rade Krunic; Alessandro Florenzi, Brahim Diaz, Rafael Leao; Olivier Giroud.
Napoli vs Milan Prediction
A change in system will likely help Milan stifle Napoli a little, especially due to the absence of Osimhen. However, the hosts are showing no signs of letting up and with the support of the home crowd in Naples, the Partenopei should secure all three points.
Prediction: Napoli Win