The job of Milan punishes the audacity of Naples | sports

First he survived, then and, finally, Milan resisted to beat Napoli and approached the semifinals of the Champions League that he has not played since 2007, when he raised his last big-eared. Far from that level, the team was involved in trade to grow in a game that forced them to suffer. If you have to make your debut in the quarterfinals of the top continental competition, let it be with the tools that Naples showed as soon as they went out on the field, brave, with personality and command, without rhetoric, added to put pressure on Milan in three quarters of the field and look for a goal that did not arrive.

1

Mike Maignan, Kjaer, Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernández, Sandro Tonali, Rade Krunic, Bennacer (Alexis Saelemaekers, min. 67), Rafael Leao, Brahim Diaz (Ante Rebic, min. 80) and Giroud

0

Alex Meret, Mário Rui (Mathías Olivera, min. 81), Kim Min-Jae, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Lobotka, Franck Zambo, Zielinski (Tanguy NDombele Alvaro, min. 80), Hirving Lozano (Giacomo Raspadori, min. 68) , Elmas and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

goals 1-0 min 39: Bennacer.

Referee István Kovacs

yellow cards Zielinski (min. 37), Pioli (min. 43), Bennacer (min. 60), Franck Zambo (min. 70), Kim Min-Jae (min. 78), Rrahmani (min. 93) and Davide Calabria (min. .95)

Before the first minute, Calabria took a shot from Kvaratskhelia under the sticks. Midway through the first half, the statistics showed eight visiting shots, none local. By this time, the absence of Osimhen, the phenomenal Nigerian striker who is injured, was already evident. He missed his fang at Napoli. Others showed it.

Milan’s first shot, on the stroke of half an hour, went half a span from the post after a gallop by Rafael Leão. It was a matter of exuberance, but there was the notice that activated Milan. The San Siro team had already understood what game they had to play and another drive, this time by Brahim Díaz, led them to the goal before the break. Bennacer executed Meret. Shortly after, Kjaer finished off a corner off the crossbar and Napoli went to the dugout prisoner of a paradox: he could be with one foot out of the competition despite knowing he was superior.

Napoli returned to impose their dictation, but San Siro was already a trench. The red and black team conceded less, relieved when with twenty minutes to play Naples was left without Zambo Anguissa, expelled. In that situation, Spalletti covered himself, relieved Kvaratskhelia for Ndombelé. It seemed to sign the minimal defeat, but not even there did Naples give up, which with the reserve forced Maignan until the end to save the Milan advantage.

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