Everything you need to know about Milan's UCL tie against Napoli [Bonus article]

AC Milan have been drawn against Napoli in the Champions League quarter-finals and that side of the knockout tree is, well, interesting to say the least. With Benfica-Inter being the other quarter-final on that side, all four teams have realistic dreams of reaching the final.

Milan were hoping to avoid the likes of Bayern Munich and Man City in today’s draw, and so they did. In fact, the outcome is probably the best they could have hoped for, even if Napoli are the favourites to win the clash. But not just the actual quarter draw went their way, but also the semi-finals as mentioned.

Benfica are no walk in the park, we must remind ourselves, but it’s certainly special that we could have an Italian team in the final again. Let’s just hope that it will be Milan, even if it hurts a little extra that Zlatan Ibrahimovic (most likely in his last season) isn’t part of the UCL squad.

So, what can we expect from the Napoli tie? If we had drawn a team from abroad, this probably would have been a more interesting article for you readers. After all, it’s been impossible to avoid seeing the success of Napoli domestically this season, but let’s take a look at some key facts ahead of the tie.

When it will be played

The first leg will take place at San Siro on April 12th, 21:00 CET. The return leg will thus be played at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 18th, 21:00 CET. It’s hard to say if it’s an advantage or not to start at home, but Milan did it against Tottenham and that certainly went well. In any case, there’s no way we can complain about this draw.

The journey to the quarter-finals

Starting with our beloved Milan (a short version), the Rossoneri finished second in their group after Chelsea, winning three games, drawing one and losing two. They then faced Tottenham in the round of 16 and Brahim Diaz was the big hero, scoring the only goal of the tie at San Siro to see the Rossoneri through.

As for Napoli, they did extremely well in the group stage of the competition. They won every single game except one, finishing first ahead of Liverpool with a goal difference of +14. The first game of the group stage was against the Reds and they won that clash 4-1, but lost the second game against them 2-0.

In the round of 16, they didn’t have many problems against Eintracht Frankfurt as they won the first leg 2-0 and the second leg 3-0. Victor Osimhen was the big star for the Partenopei as he scored three goals across those two legs.

Quick facts about Napoli

➤ Domestic form: 22 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. 1st place in the standings with 68 points. They were knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the round of 16 by Cremonese of all teams.

➤ Formation: A mix between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 has been the main system used by Luciano Spalletti this season. There’s no doubt that it’s a team with a lot of fluidity. The average age of the squad is 26,1.

➤ Top goalscorer and top assist provider: Osimhen is the top scorer with a whopping 23 goals in the league and UCL. Kvaratskhelia has the most assists at 13.

➤ Notable stats: Napoli have never made it this far in the competition. And it’s only the second time that they will face an Italian team in a European knockout, after facing Juventus in the UEFA cup back in 1982. (a tie they won). They have not previously encountered Milan in a European context, in other words.

How Napoli can hurt Milan

Napoli are a very strong side, it must be said, and the numbers really do speak for themselves this season. Spalletti’s men are very well trained and tend to press their opponents high, but they are also able to sit back if needed. In the first leg domestically, it became clear that the flanks will be crucial for them against Milan.

The Rossoneri struggled against Kvaratskhelia, truth be told, and he will be a key player for them in this tie. Osimhen needs no introduction but given Milan have three strong centre-backs, he will not be the main threat. Politano has also done well (better than most expected) on the right flank and keeping the wingers quiet will be tough.

Over the course of the season, it has also become very clear that Napoli are an extremely efficient team. Milan got to experience this first-hand in the 2-1 defeat last year, making one mistake at the back and losing all momentum after Giroud’s 1-1 equaliser. Their delivery is really impressive, both from the wingers and full-backs, which means play on the flanks must be limited.

Of course, taking Napoli’s tremendous form into account, they can trouble Milan in any area of the pitch. But forcing the Partenopei to play in the centre will certainly increase the Rossoneri’s chances of advancing.

How Milan can hurt Napoli

Milan may be the underdogs in this tie, but we have seen the Rossoneri hurt Napoli before. It’s not an impossible task, especially since Stefano Pioli’s men seem to be performing a whole lot better in the Champions League. And the previously mentioned 1-2 loss wasn’t all doom and gloom.

Milan created many chances in that game, albeit with a four-man backline, and were punished by their own mistakes at the back. Napoli’s tendency to push many men forward left space for the Rossoneri and especially Theo Hernandez to counter, which we saw on the 1-1 goal.

Going back to last season, Milan won the away clash 1-0 after Giroud opened the scoring at the start of the second half. The Rossoneri then defended really well (which we know they still can) and kept the Napoli attack completely quiet, which bodes well for the upcoming tie even if Kvaratskhelia poses an additional problem.

Milan’s key in this match will be the collective effort as well as the balance between defence and attack. They are good enough to keep the Partenopei from scoring, I truly believe that, but to go through the Rossoneri also need to find the back of the net.

Leading up to the clash

Funnily enough, the tie in the Champions League will be played in the same period as the encounter in Serie A. Little over a week before the first leg, Milan will travel to Naples for the league clash (April 2nd). Down below are the fixtures surrounding the first and second leg for both sides.

Milan: Napoli (A), Empoli (H), First leg, Bologna (A), Second leg, Lecce (H), Roma (A).

Napoli: Milan (H), Lecce (A), First leg, Verona (H), Second leg, Juventus (A), Salernitana (H).

Verdict

No Milan fan can complain about this draw, absolutely no one. It’s the best we could have hoped for and we can only hope that Pioli’s men will continue their positive trend in the Champions League. Who knows, maybe there will be Derby della Madonnina in the semi-finals (which would be mental).