Author: Soorya G
Italian heavyweights AC Milan and Napoli will meet in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. The two teams will meet in the second of three clashes in the space of a few weeks, after facing each other in Serie A a few weeks ago, just after the international break. Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan, the reigning Serie A champions, were incredible in their recent clash with the Gliazurri, beating the league leaders 4-0.
Stefano Pioli’s men are expecting more of the same from their team, considering that it will be played in a favorable environment, at the iconic San Siro. Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti will be desperate to turn things around as he senses an opportunity to go all the way in Europe’s premier club competition. It would be a historic victory for Napoli if that happened, as they have never tasted Champions League glory.
Milan, who last won the Champions League in 2007, have an impressive seven titles to their name, second only to Spanish titans Real Madrid, whose Champions League trophy cabinet is twice as large as AC Milan’s. The latter, for his part, is hoping to reach eight titles to make up for a championship season that has been uneven by his standards.
Milan are fourth in the Serie A table at the moment, 22 points behind leaders Napoli, who are coming home to victory. AC Milan are involved in a six-way battle for the other three European places, as Serie A, apart from top spot, has been extraordinarily competitive. AC Milan, along with Lazio, AS Roma, Inter, Atalanta and potentially Juventus will be vying for the places between second and fourth, but Lazio’s recent form probably means they will finish second, comfortably.
Lazio’s veteran coach Maurizio Sarri won’t be able to catch up with his former team, but he can try to reduce the gap between his team and the next champions. Milan, however, are going through a strange phase, with just one win in six games. The thrashing they gave Napoli was their only winning performance, having fallen to defeat against mid-table teams such as Fiorentina and Udinese. At the weekend, they failed to pick up three points at home, drawing against Empoli. Pioli is said to have sounded the warning bells for his men ahead of the high-risk clash, and an improvement from Milan is expected.
Napoli, on the other hand, are having perhaps the best season of their existence, having almost won the league title with a few months to go. Spalletti’s men play top quality attacking soccer and are, in all probability, the best team in European soccer at the moment. They had great results against the best teams in the world, including in the Champions League, where they humiliated the mighty Liverpool 4-1. Striker duo Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimen have established a destructive force up top, scoring a combined total of 44 goals this season.
Team news
Both sides are dealing with a prominent but short-term injury. Napoli’s talismanic striker Victor Osimhen has been ruled out, as has legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In their absence, both sides will still have strong strikers in such a crucial game.
Expected line-up:
Milan: Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez; Krunic, Tonali, Bennacer; Diaz, Leon, Giroud;
Napoli: Meret; Costa, Kim Min-Jae, Rrahmani, Di Lorenzo; Zambo-Anguissa, Zielinski, Lobotka; Kvaratskhelia, Lozano, Raspadori;
Key players:
Rafael Leão will be the most watched player at the San Siro on Wednesday, especially after his performance against Napoli just a week ago. The Portuguese was simply untouchable, scoring two goals. The second of his two goals was incredible, and he’s hoping for a repeat in the knockout game.
Kim Min-Jae ‘s rise to the top has been nothing short of incredible. The South Korean, who only joined in the summer, has impressed so much that the club has already received several offers for him. He has superb presence, is deceptively quick and extremely organised with his defensive duties.
Forecasts:
Napoli out for revenge
After the humiliating home defeat at the San Paolo a few days ago, revenge will be on Spalletti’s mind.
Zambo Anguissa to dominate
The Cameroonian has been in top form this season, contributing in all departments. An imposing figure at the center, he will be a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Special entry by Brahim Diaz
The Spanish midfielder has been absolutely sensational for Milan throughout his loan spell at the club. The 23-year-old was influential in the previous meeting between the two teams, and this time it’s expected to be no different.