Milan-Napoli 1-0: goal by Hernandez

In four days the music of the Europa League will sound, which is less exciting and glitters up to a certain point, but Milan is taking three more vital steps on the road to the next Champions League. A success legitimized by the ferocity with which he extinguished Napoli’s ambitions after Hernandez’s goal and by the malice with which he defended him in the second half. This is the ninth useful result in a row for the Rossoneri (seven are victories) and allows them to once again strengthen an increasingly solid third place. Pioli thus sanctifies bench number 220 at the helm of Milan, which allows him to join Sacchi. News with a capital “n”: the Devil hadn’t locked the door for over a month (Empoli). The enthusiasm generated by the success against Verona is thus extinguished in the Azzurri’s home team and this is a blow that hurts because, apart from Roma, all the others competing for fourth place won. Mazzarri will have to work above all on his away performances: fifth game in a row without scoring, last victory at the end of November.

the choices

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If it weren’t for Reijnders being punished by the sports judge (sensational fact: the last time he missed a match was May 2022), Pioli would have proposed the same formation for the fifth time in a row. And then in place of the Dutchman in Bennacer, who hadn’t played since before Christmas in Salerno, next to Adli, with all the rest of the structure unchanged: Kjaer and Gabbia in front of Maignan, Loftus-Cheek between the lines, trident with Pulisic, Giroud and Leao. Mazzarri confirmed the tactical intentions filtered during the week: return to the three-man defense and Kvaratskhelia behind Simeone in front, Mazzocchi in place of the suspended Mario Rui and – surprise confirmed, Zielinski in, rehabilitated from fatigue and from the company disagreement over the non-renewal.

two-sided first half

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Milan as a playmaker with a double director, one could say in rhyme. In short, so-so. Adli and Bennacer were in their first starts together, but the tasks were clear right from the start: even before the construction tasks, clear positions and markings: Adli on Anguissa and Bennacer on Zielinski, with an additional eye first on Kvara when the Georgian looked for light by retreating well out of the area. The one who didn’t have too stringent tasks was Loftus-Cheek, who hung around the clods of Lobotka but without asphyxiating him. A clear choice, in order to be able to float between the departments without having too many blue shirts around. The first twenty minutes passed at a more than pleasant pace, even if tactically the match remained blocked, also due to the man-made deliveries on both sides. Napoli were better on points, with a faster ball movement and strictly on the grass, while Milan in the first part of the half messed up more than they should in the heart of the pitch, missing free balls and relying on many little tasks put together. No one who took the responsibility of forcing a play, of a starting point, and going with the support festival five meters away without risks. Devil probably very worried about making mistakes and finding himself faced with the speed of Kvara, Simeone and a wild Mazzocchi, who then faded away as the clock ticked down.

question and answer

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Napoli were better, yes, but AC Milan broke out in a cold sweat only once, when Kvara ran away from Gabbia on the right and put it in the middle for Simeone’s right-footed shot: the post cracked and San Siro remained silent for two seconds. The match changed face with Milan’s goal. Minute number 25: Giroud – always very lucid in his intelligent assistance to his teammates – served Leao on the left lane, who saw Hernandez’s forceful insertion and served him on the run. The Frenchman, completely forgotten by Lobotka, flew towards Gollini and slipped it. From here on it was a completely different match because Milan shook off the uncertainties and loosened up in their heads and legs. The most obvious Rossoneri merit: having continued the pressure, keeping Napoli down. In practice, preventively defusing the foreseeable reaction. Gollini flew over Leao (28′), the Azzurri were no longer able to find the phrasing of the first minutes. In the 37th minute Calabria was out injured and Florenzi came in, while the second half began with Politano replacing Ostigard. Or 4-3-3. It was a second half where the entire tactical construction of the first half suddenly collapsed. A sort of ping pong with Napoli increasingly aggressive (in Raspadori for Simeone) and Milan taking a throw-in. However, unexploited prairies. Opportunities on both sides: Gollini in clear difficulty on Florenzi and Giroud (48′), Rossoneri protests due to a push by Rrahmani on Loftus (49′), Simeone goes just over following Bennacer’s amnesia (55′), Politano a few (very) centimeters from the post (60′), Leao who has the missed doubling on his conscience (70′). About ten minutes from the end Pioli removed Kjaer and Pulisic for Simic and Jimenez, switching to a three-man defense (Simic, Gabbia, Theo): victory achieved with two Primavera players on the pitch (and thanks to good luck… deviation by Simic on the post, with Mignan beaten). At the Rossoneri there is something to be satisfied with.