A massive night of Italian football is upon us as Napoli prepares to host AC Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. This is more than just a game; it is a battle for second place in Serie A and a final chance for both teams to keep their title hopes alive. With only eight games left in the season, league leaders Inter Milan are pulling away. This match is a must-win for both sides.
The race at the top of the table is incredibly tight. AC Milan is in 2nd place with 63 points, where Napoli are in 3rd place with 62 points. A win for Napoli would see them leapfrog Milan into second place. On the other hand, if Milan wins, they will create a four-point gap and remain the primary challengers to Inter. Antonio Conte’s Napoli is in excellent form. They come into this match on the back of four consecutive wins, including a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Cagliari.
On the other hand, Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan has been the most consistent away team this season. They have the best defensive record on the road, conceding very few goals. However, their recent form has been mixed. While they won their last match 3-2 against Torino, they recently suffered a stinging 1-0 loss to Lazio.
Milan will rely heavily on their goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, who is currently one of the best in Europe. He has prevented nearly 10 expected goals this season, making him a wall that Napoli’s strikers will find hard to beat.
Stats & Facts
- Napoli are unbeaten at home this season with a record of 10 wins and 4 draws, whereas AC Milan boasts the league’s best away defense, conceding only 0.67 goals per game on the road.
- Napoli enters the match on a hot streak with 4 consecutive league victories.
- AC Milan has a more mixed recent record of 3 wins and 2 losses in their last 5 outings.
- In their overall history, Napoli has recorded 15 wins compared to AC Milan’s 10 wins, with 10 matches ending in a draw.
- AC Milan has kept a clean sheet in 43% of their matches this season, while Napoli has managed a clean sheet in 33% of their games.
Team News
Napoli will be without the service of some key players due to injury, including Romelu Lukaku, David Neres, Amir Rrahmani, Antonio Vergara, and captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo. However, former Man City midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne has returned to the team and is ready to play for Napoli tomorrow.
As for AC Milan, Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic are expected to lead the attack against Napoli. But Christopher Nkunku and Niclas Fullkrug are also in contention. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is back from injury, while Matteo Gabbia is out of the team due to injury.
Possible Lineup for Napoli:
Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Buongiorno, Jesus; Politano, Anguissa, Lobotka, Spinazzola; McTominay, De Bruyne; Hojlund
Possible Lineup for AC Milan:
Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Fofana, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Leao
Prediction: Napoli 2-1 AC Milan
When these two teams met earlier this season in September, Milan won 2-1. However, Napoli beat Milan 2-0 in the Supercoppa semi-finals in December. Napoli will likely play an aggressive, high-pressing game to try and break through Milan’s tough defense early on. Milan will probably be more patient, looking to strike on the counter-attack through Pulisic.
Betfair Odds
Napoli: 2.55
Draw: 2.30
AC Milan: 3.00
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