AC Milan have one foot in the Champions League semi-finals after beating Napoli for the second time in ten days.
With Victor Osimhen out injured, Napoli’s star turn in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was unable to step up.
Only minutes into the game, the Georgian – who has taken Europe by storm this season – did not put enough on a shot at the back post after Frank-Andre Zambo Anguissa dug out a driven cross that flashed across the face of goal.
The rather tame effort was blocked with relative ease and, even at that early stage, heads appeared to have dropped. While the Serie A leaders bossed most of the ball and peppered Mike Maignan’s goal with speculative shots from range, clear cut chances were few and far between.
After the initial Napoli domination, a warning sign emerged halfway through the first-half. Rafael Leao might have dragged a shot wide but an electrifying run from deep pointed to the home side’s threat on the counter.
That threat would soon become reality. A wonderful turn on the halfway line from Brahim Diaz created the space in which the Spaniard cut Napoli apart through the middle before he teed up the onrushing Ismael Bennacer to crash the only goal of the game in past Alex Meret.
Much of the second-half would follow a similar pattern. While Napoli enjoyed a lot of the ball and created half chances, Milan always looked dangerous on the counter.
Anguissa was sent off for two bookings within four minutes before Kim Minjae’s caution ruled him out of the second leg too, putting Milan in an even stronger position to set-up a potential derby meeting with Inter in the final four.
