Napoli imposed themselves with determination at San Siro, taking home three points that were fundamental in the race for the title. Goals from Lukaku and Kvaratskhelia demonstrated the Azzurri’s ability to capitalise on every mistake made by the Rossoneri. For Milan fans, who had hoped for Antonio Conte’s arrival in the summer, this defeat is a hard blow and a sign of the potential failure of the Rossoneri project. After ten matchdays and a game to make up, Milan is eleven points behind league leaders Napoli, a gap that makes it difficult to nurture hopes of the Scudetto. Although the championship is still long, Milan needs to win against Monza and Cagliari to stay in the race.
Napoli showed great skill in punishing Milan’s defensive errors, while the Rossoneri wasted many goal-scoring opportunities, leaving the opposing goal “bewitched”. The Azzurri, now seven points behind Inter, are making their pressure felt on the Nerazzurri team. Absences weigh on Milan: without Theo Hernandez and Reijnders suspended and with Gabbia and Abraham injured, Paulo Fonseca chose to keep Leao on the bench in the first half. The team’s approach was unconvincing; after an attempt blocked by Lukaku, Napoli took the lead in the fifth minute with a lightning action. Rrahmani served Anguissa who launched Lukaku: the Belgian beat Pavlovic and scored, continuing to confirm his good moment.
Milan took longer to find their rhythm; the first significant attempt came in the 18th minute with Musah hitting the post. Chukwueze tried from distance but Meret made a great save. Despite the numerous chances created by the Rossoneri, the lack of precision in finishing compromised their chances. In Milan’s best moment, Kvaratskhelia surprised everyone with a goal: he dribbled past Loftus and Fofana before scoring.
In the second half, a header from Morata is ruled out for offside and Milan continue to look for the net without success. Fonseca brings on Leao and Pulisic in an attempt to give the team a boost. However, Meret is alert to a powerful shot from Leao. Napoli’s victory at San Siro propels them among the favourites for the title while Milan must work hard to close the gap in the standings. In a city like Milan, patience is always short and expectations are high.
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