In the first leg of UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals, Milan beaten Napoli comfortably at San Siro. Bennacer scored the goal for Milan after beautiful play by Diaz. Zambo Anguissa showed the red and Napoli were reduced to 10-men.
Pioli brought back a large number of regulars in Milan for today’s crucial match after fielding a significantly altered lineup for last Friday’s 0-0 draw with Empoli. Leao and Giroud started up front with Diaz, and Kjaer started at the back. Kalulu had recently made a full recovery and was back on the bench.
Victor Osimhen, Napoli’s top scorer, and Giovanni Simeone, his backup, were both injured, so Spalletti chose Elmas to play as a false nine in the three-man attack. Despite having four Champions League goals this season along with Osimhen and Simeone, Raspadori was moved to the bench. At right wing, Lozano beat Politano to the starting spot, and Rui started over Olivera at left back.
Five yards away, Kvaratskhelia received a low ball from Zielinski that neither Kjaer nor Krunic were able to clear. However, Krunic was there to block the winger’s goal-bound shot.
Maignan had to tip the ball over for a corner as a result of Anguissa’s potent shot from just outside of the box. Then, from the resulting set-piece, Di Lorenzo nodded Rui’s inswinging cross wide at the near post.
What a hit by Piotr Zielinski that required Mike Maignan to make a crucial save. The Frenchman gave Napoli their third corner by tipping the ball over the crossbar. A defender headed it out for a fourth, which resulted in a shot that looped over Maignan’s goal and into the top netting.
Milan appeared a little uneasy. The hosts created a turnover when Napoli was caught up really high, but the chance to break away was lost when Sandro Tonali’s pass was well off target before they even reached midfield.
Leao found a gap to sprint into on the halfway line and took it after brushing aside two defenders. The Milan forward dribbled into the box before firing a low shot that missed the right-hand post by only a foot.
With Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in possession of the ball in the middle and a number of players moving forward, Napoli had a good chance to break, but the Cameroonian fumbled his pass wide to Kvaratskhelia, who was positioned behind the intended recipient. Although he had other, superior options, he chose the safe play and still blew it.
The seven-time champions scored unexpectedly quick. Diaz beautifully sprinted through the middle quickly, exchanged pass with Leao, and set up Bennacer. From a distance of 10 yards, the midfielder maintained his composure and pummelling his first Champions League goal. Wow, Milan executed a brilliantly quick counterattack.
On the right side, Diaz and Giroud combined before the latter passed the ball to Tonali. A low shot from the Milan midfielder that was intended for goal was deflected behind for a corner.
Elmas angle-headed a looping header on goal after Kvaratskhelia’s cross was clipped, forcing Maignan to backtrack and tip it onto the crossbar. Di Lorenzo’s mishit shot is deflected behind by Kjaer’s covering lunge shortly after Maignan successfully saves a soft header from him. For Napoli, it was yet another corner. Napoli’s most recent attack fizzled out after Maignan easily handled a drifted cross from the left by Zielinski.
As Kvaratskhelia cut inside from the left after receiving a pass from Zielinski and attempted to set up a shot, Milan captain Calabria made a well-timed tackle to save his team. The right-back for the Rossoneri did an outstanding job defending.
Ismael Bennacer, who scored the game’s opening goal, was replaced by Alexis Saelemaekers, a substitute who tormented Napoli last week after coming on as a substitute.
Zambo, André-Frank Anguissa was dismissed for receiving a second yellow card when he attempted to meet the ball with a very high boot that not only struck Hernandez square in the chest but also made contact with the ball.
After making a foul, Min-Jae Kim was given yellow card for dissent, and as a result, he will miss the second leg. The defender’s behaviour was really out of control; he was allowing the hot environment of the arena to affect him.
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